In the eight years since she lost her son, Aidan, to an accidental overdose, Penny McCanny has channelled her grief into action. A prominent member of the Anyone’s Child campaign for the decriminalisation of drugs, Penny has set to out to reduce the number of lives lost to drug abuse, arguing that tighter regulation would reduce the stigma and ensure greater access to appropriate healthcare for drug users.

In this latest episode of Little Inspirations, host Declan Lawn speaks with Penny about the 25 years she spent with the “extremely brilliant”, “fascinating” Aidan and her experiences in helping him fight his addiction. She also discusses the moment her life changed, the pride she has in the memory of her son and how she is inspired every day to tell his story.