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

Laura Cathcart Robbins was part of a Hollywood power couple. She was a publicist and the PTA president of her children's prestigious private school. Her then-husband was an actor and director who eventually became the CEO at Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon. However, beneath the glamorous facade of red-carpet premieres and social events, Laura carried a hidden burden that affected every asp...

Join host Angela Kennecke on this powerful episode of Grieving Out Loud as she sits down with Valerie Silveira, a woman whose journey will leave you inspired and moved. Valerie's impact on the lives of countless individuals dealing with grief, depression, and the challenges of having a family member battle addiction is nothing short of extraordinary. Valerie's story began with unimaginab...

At first glance, Kate Kerr seemed to have it all—a beautiful apartment, impeccable fashion sense, and was a nurturing mother who ensured her children were well cared for. However, behind this seemingly perfect exterior, a secret lay hidden, unknown even to her closest loved ones. Kate struggled with substance use disorder after a doctor prescribed her painkillers to recover from surgery. Unfortuna...

On this episode of "Grieving Out Loud," your host, Angela Kennecke, sits down with an incredible guest, Patty Stovall, who knows firsthand that as parents, our knowledge alone isn't always enough to shield our children from the battles of drug or alcohol use. Growing up, Patty witnessed her parents' ongoing struggle with alcohol addiction. It wasn't an easy road, but both...

In just a few weeks, the nation's capital will witness an awe-inspiring rally that aims to shake the foundations of our country's drug crisis. Picture hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of passionate individuals marching to the White House, demanding attention from lawmakers who some believe have taken too little action. Leading this movement is none other than April Babcock, but what dro...

Originally released on May 23, 2021 Jessica Lahey is a mother, teacher, and author of The New York Times bestselling book, The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed . Jessica, who has been sober for eight years, says her new book, The Addiction Inoculation: Raising Healthy Kids in a Culture of Dependence , came out of concern for her own children follo...

Imagine losing not just one, but two loved ones to suicide. This week's Grieving Out Loud guest, Jim Nelson, has faced these unimaginable tragedies head-on. Jim's life was forever changed when his brother completed suicide in his early 20s. The pain and devastation were indescribable, but little did Jim know that life had even more sorrow in store for him. In a devastating twist of fate,...

Fawna Asfaw was an only child who had her world turned upside down when she lost not just one, but both of her parents at a young age. It's unimaginable. She didn't know how to handle all that grief, so she turned to alcohol. As you may have guessed, that led Fawna down a dangerous and devastating path. In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, your host, Angela Kennecke, sits down with Fawn...

The Rosebud Reservation is one of the most impoverished areas in the United States, and the nationwide drug epidemic has struck its residents. According to new CDC data, Native Americans are experiencing the highest number of deadly drug overdoses involving fentanyl and meth. Additionally, government reports suggest that Mexican drug cartels intentionally target rural Native American Reservations....

On this episode of "Grieving Out Loud," we'll explore the depths of grief and the journey to healing. Host, Angela Kennecke, sits down with Eric Hodgdon, a remarkable individual who has navigated the unimaginable pain of losing his 15-year-old daughter, Zoi, to suicide. Initially consumed by grief, Eric struggled with sleeplessness, loss of appetite, and agonizing phantom pains. How...

"Mother's intuition" is a well-known term that refers to a unique sense that mothers have to ensure their children's safety and well-being. However, have you ever considered other forms of intuition?  In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Angela Kennecke has a fascinating conversation with Katie Beecher, a renowned medical and spiritual intuitive with an international reputatio...

In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, meet Sonia Kahlon, an accomplished orthodontist who built a successful seven-location orthodontic group and appeared to have it all. But behind the scenes, she was secretly battling a high-functioning alcohol addiction that had started with a nightly glass of red wine and progressed to a full bottle every night, leaving her feeling sick every day. In this powe...

On this episode of Grieving Out Loud, your host, Angela Kennecke, welcomes guest Susan Lynch, a professional, award-winning dog trainer who has always known the importance of our furry friends. However, it wasn't until her son tragically passed away from a drug overdose that she truly understood just how essential they can be in our lives. Susan found herself struggling to continue living and...

In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, your host, Angela Kennecke, sits down with Kim Hix, a mother who tragically lost her daughter Kelsie to fentanyl poisoning. Deaths involving synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, are on the rise, with almost 71,000 Americans dying from fentanyl in 2021. Kim Hix is on a mission to raise awareness about this deadly drug through Kelsie's Cause. Kim shares t...

From teacher of the year to homeless, Edward Krumpotich has battled substance use disorder for two decades. In this episode of Grieving Out Loud , Angela Kennecke sits down with Eddie as he shares his harrowing journey with substance use disorder, treatment, and ultimately finding hope and purpose in raising awareness about substance use and harm reduction. Despite being in and out of up to 50 tre...

On the latest episode of Grieving Out Loud, your host, Angela Kennecke, speaks with Julie Baumgard, a mother who lost her daughter Shauna to fentanyl poisoning on a day that was supposed to be a celebration: her own son's 20th birthday. Julie shares how her daughter Shauna battled with meth addiction but was in recovery when she tragically made a deadly mistake. She tried to buy a Percocet bu...

She's one of TikTok's favorite addiction medicine docs. Dr. Elizabeth Zona is board certified in both Anesthesia and Addiction Medicine. In addition to seeing patients at her clinic, she also tries to reach the younger generation, which is largely suffering from our nation's drug epidemic, through TikTok.   Dr. Zona's personal connection to substance use disorder through her mo...

Jenna James thought she had time to save her 21-year-old son, Brandon "Bam," when he admitted to taking what he believed to be Percocet. She moved him back into her house and had open and honest conversations with him, but time was not on her side. Tragically, shortly after moving in, Bam took a pill laced with fentanyl and overdosed, leaving Jenna devastated by her loss.  Like a growing...

In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, we hear Brian Wall's story - a story of a promising college athlete with big dreams of making it to the Olympics and becoming an orthopedic surgeon. However, after experimenting with drugs, his dreams came crashing down as he found himself battling substance use disorder.  Despite the challenges he faced, Brian's recovery journey has brought him to a...

In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, your host, Angela Kennecke, sits down with South Dakota Hall of Famer Evelyn Leite, who has overcome incredible adversity in her life.  Growing up with a father who struggled with alcohol addiction, Leite experienced firsthand the destructive power of substance use disorders. Unfortunately, her struggles didn't end there - she went on to marry a man who b...

In this week's episode of Grieving Out Loud, Angela Kennecke speaks with another family she met at the DEA Family Summit, a conference for midwest parents who've lost a child to fentanyl, that she attended in November of 2022.  Bridgette and Tom Norring, a Hastings, Minnesota family, is one of the dozens of families suing the parent company of Snapchat after their children died from drug...

In this emotional episode of Grieving Out Loud, we sit down with Shannon Sayers, a mother who tragically lost her daughter and stepson to the deadly drug fentanyl. With both of their deaths occurring less than a month apart, Sayers' world was turned upside down, and she was forced to confront the devastating impact of the opioid epidemic. Her stepson, who had given her daughter what they beli...

Every five minutes, an American dies from a drug overdose. It's a startling statistic that Ann Breeding and Natalie Kritenbrink know about all too well. We caught up with the two Des Moines area mothers who lost sons to overdoses at the DEA Family Summit for parents who've lost children to fentanyl in November of 2022.  Hear how these two mothers have bonded over their grief and about th...

Join host Angela Kennecke on this week's episode of Grieving Out Loud as she sits down with Gary Mendell, founder, and CEO of the non-profit Shatterproof . Gary Mendell appeared to have it all. He founded one of the fastest-growing hotel investment firms in the United States that became a multi-billion dollar company. However, Gary was secretly struggling because one of his children was deali...

In this milestone episode, your host of Grieving out Loud, Angela Kennecke, reflects on the last four years of the Emily's Hope podcast. Angela started the podcast after losing her daughter Emily to fentanyl poisoning. Through her interviews with parents and experts in addiction and grief, Angela has created a community where families dealing with loss and addiction can find support and hope....