Grieving Out Loud: A Mother Coping with Loss in the Opioid Epidemic

By Angela KenneckeSociety & Culture Health & Fitness Mental Health Personal Journals

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Grieving Out Loud: A Mother Coping with Loss in the Opioid Epidemic episodes

July 29The 70-Cent Test That Could Have Saved Her Son’s Life After He Survived an Overdose
Juli Shamash is getting national attention for an issue she wishes she never had to talk about. Her 19-year-old son survived a drug overdose, and the hospital ran a standard drug screen, but fentanyl wasn’t included. It isn’t part of the routine ER drug panel used in many hospitals across the country.
Her son, Tyler, died the next day.
It wasn’t until five months later, after a toxicology report from the coroner, that his family learned fentanyl was in his system. With no background in policy or legislation, Shamash took her fight to the California State Legislature, and won.
In 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Tyler’s Law, requiring hospitals in California to include fentanyl in routine drug screenings for suspected overdoses.
Now, Shamash is pushing for federal legislation to make that standard the law in every emergency room across the country. While she can’t bring her son back, she’s made it her mission to prevent other families from experiencing the same loss.
In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, she shares her story, the gaps she’s working to close, and how she’s pushing for change.
Learn more about Tyler's Law here.
Related episodes:
He Wanted Justice for His Son, So He Became the Investigator
The Cop Who Had to Investigate Her Own Daughter’s Death

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Behind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.

They were...
daughters
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mothers
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wives
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They were More Than Just A Number.
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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 & Kayli Fitz
49 min
July 22The Hidden Wound That Led to Addiction
In the United States, nearly one in two adult women experience some form of unwanted sexual contact, and more than one in five have experienced completed or attempted rape, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The effects of that trauma can be profound and long-lasting, including an increased risk of substance use and addiction.
On this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Lorie Seeking Land shares how a sexual assault at age 13 set her on a path she never expected. Carrying the shame and pain of that experience in silence, she turned to drugs to cope. What followed was a difficult journey marked by meth addiction, federal charges, and a 10-year prison sentence while she was pregnant.
After her release, Lorie searched for someone who truly understood what she had been through, someone who had faced similar struggles and found a way forward. When she couldn't find that person, she decided to become that person herself.
Today, Lorie is a certified peer coach with Face It Together, an addiction wellness nonprofit. More than eight years after leaving prison, she now walks back through those same prison doors, not as an inmate but as a mentor, helping incarcerated women heal, rediscover their worth, and prepare for life beyond incarceration.
Hear Lorie's powerful story, what she wishes she had known earlier in life, and her message for anyone carrying the weight of shame, trauma, or addiction.
Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of sexual assault. Please listen with care.
Related episodes:
The Dandelion in the Window
The Voice You Knew — The Story You Didn’t
Breaking the stereotypes: A teacher of the year’s battle with homelessness and substance use disorder
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Behind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.

They were...
daughters
sons
mothers
fathers
friends
wives
husbands
cousins
boyfriends
girlfriends.
They were More Than Just A Number.
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 & Kayli Fitz
46 min
July 15How Her Son's Addiction Became Her Greatest Teacher
What happens when the hopes and dreams you have for your child begin to unravel? When they make choices you don’t understand, or find themselves in trouble? Like many parents, you may try to step in and fix it. That’s exactly what today’s guest on Grieving Out Loud did when she discovered her youngest son was experimenting with drugs.
As she watched her son struggle with substance use disorder for years, going in and out of around two dozen treatment centers, Barb McAllister tried everything she could to help him find sobriety.
After years of trying everything, Barb decided to take a different approach—one she says made a meaningful difference in her relationship with her son and even with herself.
In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Barb shares her sometimes painful journey and what addiction has taught her about life and about learning to love unconditionally.
Learn more about Barb and her coaching services here.
Related episodes:
ESPN reporter shares personal tragedy of losing both parents within hours to fentanyl
Choosing Love After a Hate Crime Took Her Son and Father
A Wife’s Battle With Addiction, A Husband’s Journey to Love Her Through It
Send us Fan Mail
Behind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.

They were...
daughters
sons
mothers
fathers
friends
wives
husbands
cousins
boyfriends
girlfriends.
They were More Than Just A Number.
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 & Kayli Fitz
50 min
July 08‘I tried to say the right thing:’ When A Parent Can’t Save Their Child from Addiction
Addiction is a complex disease, and there’s no guidebook for how to navigate it. Today’s guest on Grieving Out Loud knows that reality all too well.
Leslie Collins struggled with substance use disorder for years before finding recovery. But as she began to rebuild her life, her son started down the same devastating path.
Leslie tried everything she could think of to help him fight the disease, but nothing seemed to work. In the end, she made the difficult decision to try something she hadn’t before, tough love. He died shortly after.
Now, through her grief, Leslie is working to raise awareness about fentanyl and prevent other families from experiencing the same loss. She’s now in her fifth year of hosting the Jolly 10K Fentanyl Awareness Fun Run.
In this episode, Leslie shares her powerful story, the hard lessons she’s learned about addiction, and what she wishes she had known sooner.
Learn more about the Jolly10k Fundraiser here.
Related episodes:
A TV Anchor Shares Her Loss to Overdose and Efforts to End Stigma
How to Live With Grief, Not Be Defined By It
‘The ugliest, biggest elephant in the room:’ Confronting addiction as a disease

Send us Fan Mail
Behind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.

They were...
daughters
sons
mothers
fathers
friends
wives
husbands
cousins
boyfriends
girlfriends.
They were More Than Just A Number.
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 & Kayli Fitz
39 min
July 01Teen Voices Powered by Purpose
This week we are revisiting one of our favorite episodes as we prepare to head to Orlando for CADCA's 25th Annual Mid-Year Training Institute, July 12-16, 2026.
CADCA, or Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, represents thousands of community coalitions across the country working to prevent substance use and save lives. This year's conference theme is Powered by Purpose, and we could not think of a more fitting episode to share as we gear up to be there.
In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Angela sits down with two young people who embody exactly that spirit. Annabelle Lovell is a high school student who served as the opening speaker at the 2025 CADCA Mid-Year national conference, bringing teen perspectives on substance use prevention to one of the most influential stages in the country. Joining her is Mollie Kruse, a member of the Emily's Hope Youth Prevention Coalition, who has taken her advocacy all the way to Washington D.C., including a meeting with the Senate majority leader.
Together, Annabelle and Mollie share what actually works when it comes to helping teens say no, and more importantly, inspiring their peers and communities to make better decisions.
This episode is a powerful reminder of why prevention work matters and what it looks like when young people lead the way. If you are heading to CADCA Mid-Year in Orlando, we hope to see you there!
Learn more about the 2026 CADCA Mid-Year Training Institute here.
Send us Fan Mail
Behind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.

They were...
daughters
sons
mothers
fathers
friends
wives
husbands
cousins
boyfriends
girlfriends.
They were More Than Just A Number.
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 & Kayli Fitz
34 min
June 24After His Son's Death, Music Executive Takes on Mental Health and Fentanyl Crisis
As a veteran of the music and entertainment industry, David Nathan has helped shape the careers of A-list artists including Taylor Swift, Amy Winehouse and Ariana Grande.
But behind that success, he faced a loss he never could have imagined. His son took what he believed was a Percocet, unaware it was laced with fentanyl, and died at just 19.
Now, Nathan is focused on his most personal work yet: helping others navigate mental health challenges in his son’s honor.
What makes that mission even more meaningful is that it began with his son. Before his death, he founded an apparel company called Happy Jack, donating a portion of proceeds to support children facing mental health struggles.
In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Nathan shares his son’s story, what he hopes other parents can learn, and how he’s carrying forward a mission rooted in love, loss and purpose.
Visit the Happy Jack website.
Watch The Risks are Real live assembly here.
Related episodes:
Promising young entrepreneur dies after taking counterfeit Percocet
The Voice You Knew — The Story You Didn’t
When Men Don’t Cry: Confronting the Culture of Silent Grief

Send us Fan Mail
Behind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.

They were...
daughters
sons
mothers
fathers
friends
wives
husbands
cousins
boyfriends
girlfriends.
They were More Than Just A Number.
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 & Kayli Fitz
41 min
June 17How High Achievement Masked a Quiet Battle with Addiction
Today’s guest on Grieving Out Loud found success early in life. Mark Ehrenkranz built a career in the entertainment industry in California and New York, taking on a range of roles. But beneath that success, he was quietly fighting a battle with addiction.
Over the years, Mark says recovery would come in long stretches, sometimes years before everything would unravel again. In one case, he says it was triggered by a medication prescribed by a doctor. Other times, it started with the thought that just one pill wouldn’t hurt. But, as he puts it, that’s not how his brain is wired.
Mark says one of the turning points in his recovery has been learning to sit with discomfort, whether it’s difficult emotions, hard moments or even physical pain, instead of trying to escape it.
In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Mark opens up about the highs and lows of his journey through substance use disorder, and the tools that have helped him not only rebuild his life in recovery, but find a deeper sense of joy along the way.
Explore the Go Humans!™ website here.
Related episodes:
From Hollywood to healing: A mom’s battle with Ambien addiction
A Wife’s Battle With Addiction, A Husband’s Journey to Love Her Through It
The Voice You Knew — The Story You Didn’t

Send us Fan Mail
Behind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.

They were...
daughters
sons
mothers
fathers
friends
wives
husbands
cousins
boyfriends
girlfriends.
They were More Than Just A Number.
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 & Kayli Fitz
55 min
June 10From Prison to the Runway
She’s walked the runway at New York Fashion Week, won titles like Miss Mt. Rushmore, and may soon have a documentary made about her life. But just a few years ago, Danica Miller was on a very different path.
At just 13, she entered treatment for the first time, struggling with an addiction to inhalants. That struggle deepened over the years, leading to harder drugs, including meth, and at 19, a prison sentence after assaulting a law enforcement officer while intoxicated. With a felony on her record, rebuilding her life wasn’t easy.
After years of addiction and setbacks, Danica found her way to recovery, a journey shaped by pain, but also resilience. In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, she shares her story, showing that even in the darkest moments, change is possible, and how she’s turned her past into something that now helps others.
Learn more and follow Danica's Thrive Tribe group on Facebook here.
Related episodes:
The Dandelion in the Window
The Voice You Knew — The Story You Didn’t
Dr. Sophie Two Hawk on Healing Native Communities from Addiction and Trauma

Send us Fan Mail
Behind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.

They were...
daughters
sons
mothers
fathers
friends
wives
husbands
cousins
boyfriends
girlfriends.
They were More Than Just A Number.
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 & Kayli Fitz
37 min
June 03She Lost Her Son. Then She Started Following the Money.
Imagine losing your child to an opioid overdose and then spending years fighting to hold those responsible accountable: the manufacturers, the distributors, the pharmacies. All of it driven by grief too heavy to put down and a determination that refused to quit.
And then, you finally win in court. But the money meant to prevent other overdoses isn’t always used the way it was intended.
Today’s guest on Grieving Out Loud, Alexis Pleus, knows that reality all too well. She lost her son, Jeff, to an overdose, and has since turned her grief into action, working to ensure other families don’t have to endure the same loss. One of her latest efforts focuses on how New York is spending billions of dollars from opioid settlements.
In this episode, Alexis shares what her research uncovered, what she wants the public to understand, and why she’s continuing to push for accountability in how those funds are used.
Read the full report from Truth Pharm: Community Solutions, State Exclusions: The Misalignment of New York’s Opioid Settlement Funds here.
Watch Truth Pharm's Webinar: Researching and Writing on Opioid Settlement Fund Spending here.
Learn how your state is spending opioid settlement dollars using the Opioid Settlement Tracker website here.
Related episodes:
The Scourge of Fentanyl & Meth on our Nation
Shedding light on underreported overdose deaths with Truth Pharm
Thousands of Tombstones by the U.S. Capitol to Honor Lives Lost to Substance Use
Send us Fan Mail
Behind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.

They were...
daughters
sons
mothers
fathers
friends
wives
husbands
cousins
boyfriends
girlfriends.
They were More Than Just A Number.
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 & Kayli Fitz
47 min
May 27He Lost His Brother, Then Lost Himself
After a traumatic loss, like the death of someone we love, it can be tempting to avoid the hard work of grieving. Instead of facing that pain, people often try to numb it through drugs, alcohol or acting out. Others throw themselves into distractions, anything to avoid what’s really going on underneath. For today’s guest on Grieving Out Loud, Hakeem Bourne McFarlane, that outlet was sports.
After his younger brother died from cancer at just six years old, Hakeem poured everything he had into athletics. On the surface, it looked like a positive path forward. But he says it was really a way to avoid his grief. Along the way, he also put intense, and ultimately unhealthy, pressure on himself to succeed in his brother’s name.
But what happens when the thing you’ve been using to hold it all together suddenly disappears? The grief is still there, and now there’s nothing left to outrun it.
In this episode, Hakeem shares how an injury and substance use pulled him away from sports, forcing him to finally confront the pain he had been carrying for years. Now, he’s using that experience to help hundreds of others rebuild their lives through small, consistent steps and accountability.
Learn more and explore Hakeem's website here.
Related episodes:
How to Live With Grief, Not Be Defined By It
When Men Don’t Cry: Confronting the Culture of Silent Grief
Coping With Grief and Choosing Life After Tragedy
Send us Fan Mail
Behind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.

They were...
daughters
sons
mothers
fathers
friends
wives
husbands
cousins
boyfriends
girlfriends.
They were More Than Just A Number.
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 & Kayli Fitz
47 min

About Grieving Out Loud: A Mother Coping with Loss in the Opioid Epidemic

From the publisher's feed

After losing her 21-year-old daughter, Emily, to fentanyl poisoning, veteran journalist Angela Kennecke made it her life’s mission to break the silence surrounding substance use disorder and the…