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

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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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. 

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Wishing you faith, hope and courage!

Podcast producers:
Casey Wonnenberg King & Kayli Fitz

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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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

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Wishing you faith, hope and courage!

Podcast producers:
Casey Wonnenberg King & Kayli Fitz

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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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

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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

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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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

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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

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 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

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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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

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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

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 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

 When parents find out their child is facing a serious challenge, most will do whatever it takes to help. That was certainly true for Janel Rodriguez after she learned her teenage son was battling a marijuana addiction. But despite her efforts, Janel's world was shattered in a way she never saw coming.

Just weeks into his sophomore year, her son Noah bought what he believed was a Percocet. It turned out to be fentanyl—and it cost him his life.

In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Janel shares her powerful message for other parents, what she wishes she had known sooner, and how she’s channeling unimaginable grief into action to help save lives.

If you liked this episode, make sure to listen to these episodes next:

Mother spearheads lawsuit against Snapchat in wake of teen’s fentanyl fatality

A pill bought via Craigslist cost him his life

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

Around three dozen of her friends—that’s how many lives Morgan Mentele believes have been saved thanks to Emily’s Hope distributing free naloxone in the Sioux Falls, South Dakota area. In this powerful episode of Grieving Out Loud, Morgan courageously opens up about her journey: how she went from being a mom of two and Sunday School teacher to battling substance use disorder, how recovery finally became possible, and why she—and dozens of others—wouldn’t be here today without the life-saving impact of Emily’s Hope.

You can find out where the Emily’s Hope free naloxone boxes are located on the Emily’s Hope website, along with information on how to use naloxone. 

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

To some people, “the media” has become a dirty word. There’s no doubt—journalism is a tough job, especially in today’s divided world.

Between public scrutiny and constant deadlines, award-winning journalist Taylor Six felt the pressure closing in. Behind the scenes, she was quietly fighting a hidden battle with substance use disorder.

For years, she kept it secret. But now, Taylor is breaking the silence—not just for herself, but for others in the industry facing the same fight.

In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Taylor shares her raw, honest journey: what led her to seek help, how she found recovery, and why she started the Journalists Recovery Network to help other reporters. 

If you liked this episode, listen to these next:

• Addiction Behind the Headlines
• A TV Anchor Shares Her Loss to Overdose and Efforts to End Stigma
• ESPN reporter shares personal tragedy of losing both parents within hours to fentanyl

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