Angela Kennecke is a journalist who lost her 21-year-old daughter Emily to fentanyl poisoning on May 16, 2018. Angela is "grieving out loud" to try to put an end to this epidemic by stopping the stigma and promoting the treatment of substance use disorder as the disease it is. Anyone coping with loss and looking for inspiration can benefit from listening to this podcast.
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Learn about opioids and their effects
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Final project, PHR 3420 Cover art photo provided by freestocks.org on Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/@freestocks
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PHR 3420 Cover art photo provided by NordWood Themes on Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/@nordwood
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Changing lives through grief and the gift of pain
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His resume is nothing short of remarkable. Mark Bodnarczuk is a brilliant intellectual, a celebrated author, and a respected researcher who manages and provides oversight for three programs at Stanford. Yet, his latest book Finding New Life After the Death of my Son ventures far beyond his professional accolades—it delves into the raw, devastating …
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Shedding light on underreported overdose deaths with Truth Pharm
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Opioid overdose deaths in the U.S. have dropped to their lowest levels since 2020, with new CDC estimates showing just over 60,650 lives lost between June 2023 and June 2024—an 18% decrease from the previous year. While this is a hopeful trend, the real story might be far more sobering. On this episode of Grieving Out Loud, we delve into the hidden…
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Her shocking loss made international headlines—Now she’s helping others navigate grief
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Nicola Marshall’s world was shattered by a sudden, heartbreaking loss that made headlines around the globe. Her 12-year-old son died after falling from a balcony while they were vacationing in Spain. Yet, amidst this unimaginable heartache, Nicola discovered a way to move forward—one careful step at a time. Now, she has dedicated her life to unders…
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A Minnesota mother’s public plea to save lives after a fentanyl tragedy
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Nearly 49 million Americans, or about 17% of the population, are battling addiction, according to the latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Now, picture ten of your closest friends—nearly two of them could be quietly fighting this hidden battle. Yet, addiction often remains a silent struggle, weighed down by stigma and shame. For years, Mi…
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Exposing ‘New York’s Deadliest Pill Pusher’
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Doctors are people we often trust to make the best decisions for our health. While that's usually the case, it’s not always true. Dr. Stan Li, a once-respected anesthesiologist, became known as "New York’s deadliest pill pusher." Li wrote more than 21,000 prescriptions for drugs such as oxycodone and Xanax and was ultimately convicted of manslaught…
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Saving tiny lives and healing families at a sanctuary for opioid-exposed newborns
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Addiction's impact extends far beyond adults and teens—each year, over 20,000 babies are born dependent on drugs due to prenatal exposure. In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, we speak with a neonatal nurse practitioner who saw a critical need to provide care for these vulnerable newborns and their families. At Hushabye Nursery in Phoenix, more th…
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We're taking a break this week for the election, but we will return next week with a powerful new episode of Grieving Out Loud. Next week's episode dives into a struggle that too many families face, but often goes unspoken. Every year, more than 20,000 babies are born affected by a mother's substance use during pregnancy. That's one baby every 25 m…
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Mother who lost son to fentanyl sits down with Vice President Harris
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After losing her son Alec to fentanyl poisoning on his 26th birthday, Dita Bhargava has transformed her grief into action, becoming a powerful voice in the fight against fentanyl. She’s engaged in important conversations with political leaders across America, including Vice President Kamala Harris. On Overdose Awareness Day, Harris highlighted Dita…
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'Be Glad:' Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Gladys McGarey
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In this special episode of Grieving Out Loud, we revisit a cherished conversation with Dr. Gladys McGarey, a trailblazer in holistic medicine who passed away on September 28th at the age of 103. Her wisdom transcended the medical field, emphasizing that love is the most powerful healing force. Dr. Gladys built her life around the five L’s: love, li…
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Family's Double Tragedy: Father and daughter share loss of two to addiction
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Imagine losing not only your mother, but also your twin sister to substance use disorder. On this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Cristina Cavallo and her father, Chris, share their deeply personal and heartbreaking story in hopes of raising awareness about a disease that touches millions yet is often left in the shadows. According to the latest Nati…
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What a mother wishes she knew before losing her son to fentanyl
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As a grieving mother who fought to get help for my daughter’s substance use disorder—and ultimately lost her to fentanyl—I’m often asked what advice I have, or what I wish I had done differently. Today on Grieving Out Loud, I sit down with another grieving mother at the DEA Family Summit on Fentanyl. Kate Sloan, like so many others, learned about t…
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Words of Wisdom: Surviving Grief
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In this special episode of Grieving Out Loud, released for International Podcast Day, we deeply look at grief and its multifaceted nature. In our nearly 200 episodes, we’ve shared deeply personal stories from individuals navigating their own paths through loss, offering listeners a chance to find solace and understanding in shared experiences. As w…
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A mother's and grandmother’s grief over innocent lives lost in the drug epidemic
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As the United States faces its deadliest drug epidemic in history, lives are being lost in unimaginable ways. Over the past two decades, more than 5,000 children and teens have died from fentanyl—among them, toddlers and even infants. Janan Haugen knows these devastating numbers all too well. She’s lost not only her son to drugs, but also her grand…
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A family’s battle for justice in the fentanyl crisis
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Hans Arwine choked back tears as he recalled the moment he had to tell his wife that their son was gone. ”That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done–tell his mother that he was no longer with us,” he said. The heartbreaking scene is tragically familiar across America—parents receiving the devastating news that their children have died from fentanyl …
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Family invited to the State of the Union to raise fentanyl awareness
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An Iowa couple was invited to the State of the Union address for a reason they could have never imagined just a few years ago. Deric and Kathy Kidd were unaware of how lethal the illicit drug supply had become until the day they found their teenage son dead in his bedroom. He had taken half a pill, thinking it was Percocet, but it turned out to be …
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Former Purdue Pharma sales rep turns whistleblower
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Opioid deaths started skyrocketing when the powerful prescription painkiller OxyContin hit the market. Purdue Pharma, the company behind the drug, has been found guilty of numerous charges. It is now featured in a new Netflix original, "Painkiller," highlighting the company’s pushy sales tactics. For some viewers, like today’s guest, the show hits …
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A mother's journey through grief, addiction, and finding hope after losing her daughter
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Your life dreams may include starting a business, building a dream home, or nurturing a healthy marriage. But for many, like Sandra Radford, the deepest dream is raising children—a dream she fought to achieve through IVF. Despite the heartbreak of losing two of her triplets during pregnancy, Sandra’s joy was boundless when she welcomed her daughter…
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From pediatrician to pill mill: The shocking case of Dr. Volkman
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He’s one of the most notorious pill mill doctors: Dr. Paul Volkman. Sentenced to four consecutive life sentences for unlawfully prescribing pain medications that led to multiple deaths, his story is a shocking descent from a respected pediatrician and emergency room physician to a key figure in flooding southern Ohio with prescription drugs. In thi…
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ESPN reporter shares personal tragedy of losing both parents within hours to fentanyl
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She’s known for her Sideline Shimmy. ESPN sports broadcaster Lauren Sisler is a sideline reporter for college football and gymnastics. But behind the camera, Lauren hid a family secret for a decade. Both of her parents struggled with opioid use disorder after being prescribed painkillers by doctors—a disease that ultimately took her mom’s life, fol…
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Expert insights on preventing substance abuse
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Not only is the United States battling its deadliest drug epidemic in history, but an increasing number of Americans are also struggling with substance use disorder. According to survey data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, nearly 49 million people in the US aged 12 and older – more than one in six – have a substance use disor…
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Mother shares grief journey after losing two children to drug overdose
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Grief—it's a heavy burden, a journey that changes us forever. Each person's path through it is uniquely painful. Today, nearly one in three Americans has felt the devastating loss of someone to a drug overdose. In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Cheryl Juaire shares her heart-wrenching story of losing not one but two children to the relentless g…
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Growing up in the shadow of addiction
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Think back to your childhood—maybe you remember a classmate who misbehaved. Did you know what was happening at home? In Baleigh Cerv's case, she struggled with living with a father who suffered from alcohol addiction and was abusive. Unfortunately, her story is all too common. According to the latest data from the National Survey of Drug Use and He…
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A grieving father's fight to bring deadly drug dealers to justice
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Should drug dealers face prison time? It's a contentious issue with strong opinions on both sides. For years, law enforcement often treated drug overdose deaths as accidental or the fault of the victim. However, with a record surge in fentanyl-related fatalities in the United States, attitudes are evolving. The alarming rise in deaths has intensifi…
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Promising young entrepreneur dies after taking counterfeit percocet
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At just 19 years old, Jack Nathan had a bright and promising future. He founded his own apparel company, Happy Jack, and generously donated some proceeds to support children struggling with mental health issues. However, a single decision changed everything. Jack's life was tragically cut short when he took what he thought was a Percocet, but it wa…
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The silent crisis of alcohol and women's liver disease
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Originally released on August 4th, 2022 Deaths from alcohol-related liver disease are rising sharply among women. Today's guest, Dr. Jessica Mellinger, a liver specialist at the University of Michigan, has witnessed a 60% increase in waitlisting and transplants for patients with alcoholic hepatitis. She's on a mission to raise awareness about the t…
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CEO launches passion project to educate others about grief
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Grief—it's a heart-wrenching emotion that most of us will likely have to experience. Often, we're unprepared for the overwhelming pain and sorrow, and we struggle to know how to support friends who have lost loved ones. A Sioux Falls, South Dakota, businesswoman has started a passion project to educate others about grief following her mother's deat…
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A mother's urgent message on mental health and addiction
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Have you ever wondered how deeply intertwined mental health and addiction can be? According to reports published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, around half of those with serious mental health issues also struggle with substance use disorder. Experts say that certain substances can trigger mental health problems, while mental he…
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One woman's path to overcome abuse and addiction
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In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Angela Kennecke talks with Elaine Mingus about her journey through severe challenges and eventual recovery. Elaine shares her story of surviving sexual abuse and battling depression, an eating disorder, and a substance use disorder. Her experiences highlight the power of resilience and the importance of finding…
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“Half my original family is gone” - Fentanyl’s deadly toll on families
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After Heather Ruzic tragically lost her son to illicit fentanyl in 2015, she made it her mission to warn others about the danger. Yet, as time passed, she witnessed more parents suffering similar tragedies while the epidemic continued to impact her family in unforeseen ways. Heather's first husband also died from fentanyl poisoning. She faced a bat…
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A middle-class family man's journey into homelessness and heroin
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Tom Wolf embodied the quintessential image of a middle-class family man—married, with two children, living in the suburbs, and holding a steady job as a child support officer. However, his life took a drastic turn after a seemingly routine foot surgery led to a prescription for painkillers. Listen as we delve into Tom's journey from a happy, hardwo…
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A grieving mother's memoir about addiction inspires a screenplay
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"Slow Dancing with the Devil"--that's the title of Susan Bartz Herrick's book that's now being turned into a screenplay. It's a story that the grieving mother never wanted to write--a heartbreaking memoir of her son's relentless 20-year battle with substance use disorder, a fight he unfortunately lost due to fentanyl poisoning. But Susan's narrativ…
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Embracing hope after the loss of a daughter to suicide
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The statistics are deeply troubling. Between 2007 and 2021, youth suicide rates surged by more than 60%. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that teens living in the most impoverished areas were 37% more likely to die by suicide. However, this distressing trend isn't confined to those facing socioeconomic challenges; it…
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A wake-up call for parents on Fentanyl Awareness Day
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Fentanyl—dubbed by some as America's haunting "F" word—continues to carve a path of destruction across the nation. With the U.S. facing its deadliest drug epidemic in history, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says fentanyl is one of the main culprits. But today, on National Fentanyl Awareness Day, we're not just dwelling on the bleakn…
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Grieving father takes on Purdue Pharma after son dies from OxyContin
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As the inspiration behind characters in the award-winning books "Dopesick" and "Raising Lazarus," Ed Bisch shares his journey of turning personal tragedy into a force for powerful change. Following the heart-wrenching loss of his high school son to an OxyContin overdose early in the opioid epidemic, Bisch took on the daunting task of raising awaren…
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Prince's cousin's efforts to expose the truth behind the musician's fentanyl death
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Eight years have passed since the world lost Prince, an unparalleled musical force and one of America's most revered artists. During his life, the creative genius sold over 100 million records, ranking him among the best-selling musical artists ever. However, despite his worldwide fame, the circumstances surrounding his sudden death from fentanyl p…
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A mother-daughter journey from Hollywood to heroin to healing
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From a young age, Sarah Spier seemed destined for success. At 18 years old, she landed a job as a film specialist for the Academy Award-winning movie No Country for Old Men. But her Hollywood dreams quickly turned into a nightmare of heroin addiction. Sarah fell in love with a drug dealer, thinking it was a modern-day Romeo and Juliet tale. No one …
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A candid conversation with the real doctor who inspired Michael Keaton's 'Dopesick' character
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World-renowned actor Michael Keaton has won several awards, including his first Emmy, for his performance in the Hulu series "Dopesick." The "Batman" actor portrays a hard-working doctor in a small mining town who gets addicted to the pain pills he starts prescribing. Today on Grieving Out Loud, we have an exciting interview with the man who was th…
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Cancer patient uses his addiction battle to create a potentially life-saving device
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Ever feel like you've hit a certain age, and your chance to impact the world has passed you by? In today's Grieving Out Loud episode, we'll introduce you to Neil Jackson, who proves that age is just a number. In his early 60s, Neil faced the devastating news of a rare cancer diagnosis and the slim odds of survival after a risky surgery. But his sto…
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Mother spearheads lawsuit against Snapchat in wake of teen's fentanyl fatality
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From FOX News to CNN and ABC, Amy Neville has found herself under the national news spotlight, but it's for a cause she wishes never existed. Amy faced the heart-wrenching loss of her 14-year-old son, who, on the brink of his first year in high school, ingested what he thought was oxycodone, a purchase made through Snapchat. Now, Amy is on a missio…
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A paramedic's harrowing shift from lifesaver to bereaved mother in the fentanyl crisis
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As a seasoned paramedic, Shani Reisnour has seen the painful impact of our nation’s drug crisis up close. But she never expected it to hit her family. Unfortunately, fentanyl doesn’t discriminate. In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Shani opens up about her daughter’s struggle with substance use disorder, shares the lessons she’s learned, and wha…
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Grief, marijuana, and addiction: A conversation about cannabis use disorder
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With a record number of Americans using marijuana, cannabis use disorder is also on the rise. Recent research published in The Journal of the American Medical Association finds that more than one-fifth of people who use cannabis struggle with dependency or problematic use. In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Chris Raeford courageously opens up ab…
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Podcast star shares story of overcoming grief & trauma
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As one of the most popular podcasters in the world, Meghan Judge has seen a lot of success throughout her career. She’s also married to a Hollywood actor, but now she speaks out about the trauma she survived starting at a young age. Because of all of her grief, abuse, and abandonment issues, doctors diagnosed Meghan with Complex PTSD. In this episo…
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A conversation with a trailblazer making naloxone more accessible and saving lives
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With fentanyl being the number one killer of Americans under 50, it’s more important than ever to have easy access to naloxone, which can reverse opioid overdoses. In fact, naloxone has saved the lives of tens of thousands of people. Today, on a heartfelt episode of Grieving Out Loud, we are privileged to have Justin Phillips join us—a remarkable w…
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A prescription for danger: The hidden cost of the opioid crisis
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In an era where streaming platforms like Netflix and Hulu bring the grim realities of America’s opioid crisis to the forefront through compelling narratives and star-studded casts, the painful truth hits home for countless families. Among them is Sandra Martinez, whose daughter Qarinna’s journey began with a seemingly benign prescription for opioid…
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Rising from sorrow: A mother's path through a decade of the fentanyl crisis
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Over the last ten years, Lauri Badura has been on a determined quest to confront the escalating crisis of fentanyl-related deaths. Despite her unwavering dedication, the shadow of this epidemic continues to grow. Lauri's path to advocacy was marked by personal tragedy in 2014 when she lost her son, Archie, to an overdose. This loss became the catal…
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A sister’s role in getting brother off opioids
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Originally released on July 18th, 2022 Today's episode is an unexpected revisit dedicated to the memory of one of our past guests. Maryrose Fealey was a TikTok star who gained fame after she shared her relationship with her brother, Ian, who suffers from substance use disorder. Her journey was also shown in an eye-opening documentary that followed …
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Snaps of sorrow: A father's advocacy after losing son from Snapchat drug deal
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Buying drugs online is "nearly as convenient as using one's phone to order a pizza or call an Uber," a report by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser found. Sadly, an increasing number of grieving parents are painfully discovering the truth behind this statement. Chris Didier's 17-year-old son Zach was an Eagle Scout, talented soccer player, and s…
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“This was life or death:” How an Emily’s Hope scholarship saved a woman battling addiction
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Wine Wednesday, Mom Juice, Liquid Courage--our culture has all sorts of cute catchphrases encouraging people to drink. In fact, excessive drinking seems to be normalized, but unfortunately, it's also one of the leading preventable causes of death in the U.S., with more than 380 Americans dying every day. In this heartfelt episode of Grieving Out Lo…
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Resilience revealed: How Life Coach Lynn Gillette is using her loss to help others
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How do you navigate life's unexpected challenges? Do you crumble under the weight, foster resentment, or embrace each trial as an opportunity for personal growth? In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, we welcome Lynn Gillette, who, at first glance, seemed to have life all figured out. With her children's recent high school graduation, she entered a…
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Nashville nightmare: Deadly fentanyl poisonings after a destination wedding
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Imagine a trip brimming with celebration and laughter—Carol Wolfe's son, Josh, embarked from Nebraska to Nashville, eager to witness the heartfelt "I dos" of two dear friends. Little did anyone know that this journey, meant for joy, would take an unexpected turn. Post-wedding festivities, Josh and a friend, decided to extend their Nashville stay fo…
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