Grief is something most of us will face at some point in our lives—but it’s not exactly coffee shop conversation. Gary Roe is hoping to change that. He’s not only an award-winning author who’s written more than 20 books on grief, but also someone who speaks with honesty, compassion, and deep personal experience.

In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Gary shares about his painful childhood, the lessons he’s learned about grief and resilience, and what he hopes others can carry with them from his journey.

You can visit Gary's website here. 

If this episode resonated with you, here are more conversations you’ll want to hear:

Surviving the holiday season while grieving

Broken Heart Syndrome: 4 Ways We Grieve

Your To-Die List: Bestselling Author on Living Fully and Resiliently

Growing Up with Grief: Emily’s Siblings Open Up

Words of Wisdom: Surviving Grief

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The Emily’s Hope Substance Use Prevention Curriculum has been carefully designed to address growing concerns surrounding substance use and overdose in our communities. Our curriculum focuses on age-appropriate and evidence-based content that educates children about the risks of substance use while empowering them to make healthy choices. 

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Wishing you faith, hope and courage!

Podcast producers:
Casey Wonnenberg King & Marley Miller

How do you keep going when your world falls apart? It is a question even adults struggle to answer, so imagine what it is like for a child. For many, the pain of losing someone they love becomes unbearable. In the search for something, anything, to numb the hurt, they turn to alcohol or other substances. When grief is left unspoken and untreated, that path becomes even easier to fall into.

Ellen Ingraham knows that pain. She lost her father when she was just two years old. As if that heartbreak were not enough, her older sister, her best friend, was fighting a life-threatening condition. Like so many others carrying quiet grief, Ellen turned to alcohol to cope.

In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Ellen shares her story, how she faced her pain, found her way toward healing, and what she wants others to know if they are struggling too.

If you enjoyed this episode, check out these ones next: 

The silent crisis of alcohol and women’s liver disease

Telling Everyone’s Story While Hiding Her Own: A Journalist’s Battle with Addiction

Broken Heart Syndrome: 4 Ways We Grieve

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The Emily’s Hope Substance Use Prevention Curriculum has been carefully designed to address growing concerns surrounding substance use and overdose in our communities. Our curriculum focuses on age-appropriate and evidence-based content that educates children about the risks of substance use while empowering them to make healthy choices. 

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Wishing you faith, hope and courage!

Podcast producers:
Casey Wonnenberg King & Marley Miller

New York City is home to more than twice the population of any other U.S. city, so when a story makes headlines there, it usually means it’s something big. But for Scott Caddell,  the reason his son’s name appeared in the news was devastating.

First, Scott lost his oldest son to a brutal and widely publicized murder. Then, years later, his younger son died from fentanyl poisoning. Long before either tragedy, Scott was battling his own addiction, a struggle that began when he was still a kid.

On this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Scott opens up about the heartbreak no parent should ever have to endure. He talks candidly about addiction, grief, the lessons he learned too late, and how he is still putting one foot in front of the other, even after losing so much.

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The Emily’s Hope Substance Use Prevention Curriculum has been carefully designed to address growing concerns surrounding substance use and overdose in our communities. Our curriculum focuses on age-appropriate and evidence-based content that educates children about the risks of substance use while empowering them to make healthy choices. 

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Wishing you faith, hope and courage!

Podcast producers:
Casey Wonnenberg King & Marley Miller

In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, we sit down for a one-on-one conversation with a man who’s spent decades on the front lines of the United States' battle against illicit drugs and overdose deaths. Derek Maltz, who recently served as acting administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), built a nearly 30-year career as a special agent. He also led the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force—the nation’s oldest and largest.

Maltz opens up about why the fentanyl crisis has become so personal to him, what he believes must happen to stop the mass poisoning of Americans, and the critical missteps that have allowed the epidemic to grow.

Listen to Episode 120 of Grieving Out Loud with April Babcock: https://emilyshope.charity/episode/april-babcock/

If you enjoyed this episode, you may like this one with Art Kleinschmidt, the former Deputy Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy: https://emilyshope.charity/episode/arthur-kleinschmidt/

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The Emily’s Hope Substance Use Prevention Curriculum has been carefully designed to address growing concerns surrounding substance use and overdose in our communities. Our curriculum focuses on age-appropriate and evidence-based content that educates children about the risks of substance use while empowering them to make healthy choices. 

Support the show

Connect with Angela

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Wishing you faith, hope and courage!

Podcast producers:
Casey Wonnenberg King & Marley Miller

Imagine watching a documentary about the dangers of opioids—then moments later, learning your only living child is gone.

That’s the devastating reality Michael Land faced when his son unknowingly took a pill laced with a deadly dose of fentanyl.

In the wake of unimaginable loss, Michael is choosing to keep his son's memory alive by living out the adventures they once dreamed of doing together. From national parks to stunning waterfalls, he’s been traveling the country—sharing their story, connecting with others, and raising awareness about the dangers of fentanyl, one conversation and social media post at a time.

In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Michael opens up about the day everything changed, what he wishes every parent knew, and how he’s finding purpose in the pain by helping others avoid the same heartbreak.

If you enjoyed this episode, you may like ‘The Pharmacist’ Dan Schneider gives the backstory on the hit Netflix documentary or Life after ‘The Pharmacist’ for Dan Schneider: A new mission.

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The Emily’s Hope Substance Use Prevention Curriculum has been carefully designed to address growing concerns surrounding substance use and overdose in our communities. Our curriculum focuses on age-appropriate and evidence-based content that educates children about the risks of substance use while empowering them to make healthy choices. 

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Wishing you faith, hope and courage!

Podcast producers:
Casey Wonnenberg King & Marley Miller

They call themselves “bereaved besties,” but it’s a bond born from heartbreak.

 Amy Neville and Bridgette Norring never imagined their lives would intersect like this, until both of their teenage sons died after taking what they believed was a prescription pill they bought on Snapchat. Instead, it was a deadly dose of fentanyl.

Now, these two mothers are learning how to live with the unthinkable, while doing everything they can to make sure no other family has to. They’ve taken their grief to Washington, are fighting for new legislation, and are part of a lawsuit against Snapchat’s parent company.

Join this raw and honest conversation with two mothers who are speaking out, standing up, and working to make the digital world safer for your family.

Listen to Amy Neville's previous episode on the podcast here.

Listen to Bridgette Norring's previous episode on the podcast here.

If you enjoyed this episode, you may like this one with Dr. Art Kleinschmidt, newly appointed Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary at SAMHSA.

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The Emily’s Hope Substance Use Prevention Curriculum has been carefully designed to address growing concerns surrounding substance use and overdose in our communities. Our curriculum focuses on age-appropriate and evidence-based content that educates children about the risks of substance use while empowering them to make healthy choices. 

Support the show

Connect with Angela

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Wishing you faith, hope and courage!

Podcast producers:
Casey Wonnenberg King & Marley Miller

On this episode of Grieving Out Loud, we’re having an important one-on-one conversation with a key figure from President Trump’s administration—someone deeply involved in shaping how our country responds to the addiction and mental health crisis.

Right now, more than 48 million Americans are living with substance use disorder. Yet, the administration is proposing a $56 million cut to a federal grant that helps communities and first responders access naloxone—the life-saving medication that can reverse opioid overdoses.

And that’s just one piece of the puzzle. The so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill” also includes Medicaid cuts that could dramatically affect addiction prevention and treatment across the country. Add to that a major overhaul of several federal programs that support substance use treatment, and there’s a lot at stake.

On this episode, we sit down with Art Kleinschmidt, head of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. And we’re asking the tough questions.

Listen to Art's previous episode of Grieving Out Loud here.

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The Emily’s Hope Substance Use Prevention Curriculum has been carefully designed to address growing concerns surrounding substance use and overdose in our communities. Our curriculum focuses on age-appropriate and evidence-based content that educates children about the risks of substance use while empowering them to make healthy choices. 

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Connect with Angela

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Wishing you faith, hope and courage!

Podcast producers:
Casey Wonnenberg King & Marley Miller

Most of us have a daily to-do list—sometimes scribbled on paper, sometimes just running through our heads. But today’s guest on Grieving Out Loud invites you to consider a different kind of list: a to-die list.

Bestselling author and self-help coach Karen Salmansohn has written more than 25 books for adults and tweens, with more than two million books and courses sold. Her work has been featured in national outlets including The New York Times, The Today Show, and InStyle magazine.

Karen isn’t afraid to take on tough, often-taboo topics like death—and turn them into powerful, uplifting lessons on how to live with more intention, joy, and purpose. In this episode, she shares practical advice for embracing life more fully and offers tools for navigating some of life’s biggest challenges, including grief.

If you liked this episode, listen to Living your best life at 102: Dr. Gladys McGarey’s secrets to fulfillment amid adversity next!

Send us a text

The Emily’s Hope Substance Use Prevention Curriculum has been carefully designed to address growing concerns surrounding substance use and overdose in our communities. Our curriculum focuses on age-appropriate and evidence-based content that educates children about the risks of substance use while empowering them to make healthy choices. 

Support the show

Connect with Angela

Follow Grieving Out Loud

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For more episodes and information, just go to our website, emilyshope.charity
Wishing you faith, hope and courage!

Podcast producers:
Casey Wonnenberg King & Marley Miller

Most of us would never imagine taking on the role of a law enforcement investigator. But for so many grieving parents, that’s exactly what they’ve had to do. After losing their children to fentanyl, they find themselves combing through phone records, tracing dealers, and trying to uncover the truth—because no one else will.

For too long, overdose deaths were dismissed as tragic accidents. And while that mindset is beginning to shift amid the rise in fentanyl-related deaths, the heartbreaking truth remains: in many cases, no one is held accountable. Even when the victim had no idea they were taking fentanyl.

In today’s episode of Grieving Out Loud, we’re sitting down with Mark Russell. Mark’s son, like so many others, thought he was taking a Xanax. Instead, it was a counterfeit pill laced with a lethal dose of fentanyl. And when law enforcement didn’t act, Mark spent four years investigating his son’s death himself.

Now, he hopes to become a lifeline for other parents walking this painful path. He’s here to share what he’s learned—how to keep pushing for answers, navigate a complicated justice system, and demand accountability when the system falls short. Mark also opens up about why fighting the stigma surrounding fentanyl deaths is just as important as seeking justice—because it’s not just about healing families. It’s about saving lives.

If you liked this episode, listen to these next:

Snaps of sorrow: A father’s advocacy after losing son from Snapchat drug deal

A grieving father’s fight to bring deadly drug dealers to justice

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The Emily’s Hope Substance Use Prevention Curriculum has been carefully designed to address growing concerns surrounding substance use and overdose in our communities. Our curriculum focuses on age-appropriate and evidence-based content that educates children about the risks of substance use while empowering them to make healthy choices. 

Support the show

Connect with Angela

Follow Grieving Out Loud

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For more episodes and information, just go to our website, emilyshope.charity
Wishing you faith, hope and courage!

Podcast producers:
Casey Wonnenberg King & Marley Miller

Imagine walking into a room lined with hand-drawn graphite portraits—each one capturing the face of someone lost to fentanyl poisoning or a drug overdose. It’s a powerful experience, one that says more than statistics ever could. That’s the vision behind the INTO LIGHT Project, a nationwide nonprofit turning personal tragedy into public awareness through art.

On this episode of Grieving Out Loud, you'll hear how the organization is not only raising awareness about the fentanyl epidemic, but it’s also giving grieving families a space to heal. And for the founder, this mission is deeply personal. Join us for this emotional and inspiring conversation that aims to inform, protect and provide hope.

If you liked this episode, listen to these next:

Grieving mother copes by drawing caricatures of those lost in fentanyl epidemic

A grieving mother's memoir about addiction inspires a screenplay

A mother-daughter journey from Hollywood to heroin to healing

Send us a text

The Emily’s Hope Substance Use Prevention Curriculum has been carefully designed to address growing concerns surrounding substance use and overdose in our communities. Our curriculum focuses on age-appropriate and evidence-based content that educates children about the risks of substance use while empowering them to make healthy choices. 

Support the show

Connect with Angela

Follow Grieving Out Loud

Follow Emily's Hope

Read Angela’s Blog

Subscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope Updates

Suggest a Guest

For more episodes and information, just go to our website, emilyshope.charity
Wishing you faith, hope and courage!

Podcast producers:
Casey Wonnenberg King & Marley Miller