Last Day

Brandy and Wilma are two women who have a lot in common. They both grew up in California, they both experienced profound childhood trauma, and they both turned to drugs to soothe their pain. But their stories end very differently. Brandy died 10 years ago, at 28 years old. Wilma is now in her 50’s, approaching 10 years sober and living a busy, meaningful life. In this episode, we look at cycles of...

Dr. Gabor Maté is a world-renowned trauma expert who can (and will) deconstruct your happy childhood in a matter of minutes. At least, that’s what he did to our host, Stephanie. We start this episode with the question, “Why?” Why would someone get addicted to opioids? In this riveting interview, Dr. Maté expands our definition of trauma, breaks down how childhood trauma leaves wounds and how addic...

Dave and Chris co-hosted 142 episodes of Dopey, a recovery podcast about “drugs, addiction and dumb shit,” when the worst thing that could have ever happened, happened: Chris relapsed and died. This week, Stephanie sits down with Dave, who’s still hosting Dopey, to chat about Chris’s last day, recovery, and the transformative power of losing someone you love.  Please note, Last Day contains strong...

 A few years ago, Laurie McTeague noticed her teenage son, Ian, was uncharacteristically depressed. So she went snooping around on his phone and discovered that he’d been widely experimenting with nearly every drug under the sun. What followed was years of relentless searching for effective adolescent treatment while her son continued to relapse again and again. As a parent, how do you navigate th...

This season started with the question: How did we get here? How did Stefano and Harris overdose and die in their early 30s? How did our country lose 400,000 lives to opioids since 1999? In the new year, we turn our attention to other last day stories, and other kinds of last day stories. Brittany and Ahren are high school sweethearts who built a life and a family together, when “the blues” came in...

We asked. You answered. This week, we hear from Last Day listeners about why the holidays are so hard, different, stressful, all of the adjectives. Stephanie chats with Dr. Neha Kumar, a clinical psychologist, about tips to get through the season and ways we can honor our loved ones who are no longer with us. Drug and alcohol counselor Wilma Hawkinson discusses being newly sober during the holiday...

This week, Stephanie sits down with the parents—Stefano’s and her own—to dig into where everyone is with their grief, understanding, and personal responsibility around what happened to their sons. Hint, hint: The moms and dads are in very different places.  Please note, Last Day contains strong language, mature themes, and may not be suitable for all listeners.  Broken Justice podcast Casper.com/L...

This week, we circle back to where this story began — on the ground, in Boston, with Jess. Joined by new voices (Gary Mendell, Michael Botticelli, Mayor Marty Walsh) and familiar ones (Stefano’s wife, Paige), Jess delves into what it’s been like to produce a show that’s so deeply personal. By the end of the episode, she’s finally able to answer the question that drove her to create the show in the...

This week, Stephanie sits down with Garth Mullins, who hosts an award-winning podcast in Canada called Crackdown, which is also about drugs. The difference? Garth is coming at it from the perspective of a drug user. The plan was to talk about international solutions and Garth's recent reporting in Portugal (which they do discuss) but they also compare notes as two podcasters making shows based on...

This week, we talk about the variety of ways that children are affected by the opioid crisis. Also, Stephanie has a breakdown because it’s hard to accept the things you cannot change. In this episode, she sits down with Peter who describes the process of adopting three kids born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome; The Seattle Times’ Claudia Rowe who gives an overview of how this epidemic is impacti...

While “opioids” has become a political buzzword, national policy on opioids is virtually nonexistent. Our system is nowhere near able to meet the needs of those who desperately need help. So what’s it going to take to move the needle, so to speak? Stephanie sits down with Congressman Patrick Kennedy to talk about legislation and funding (see: lack of funding) for mental health and addiction; Sarah...

We’ve tried arresting people. We’ve tried shuffling them from place to place. We’ve tried shaming them into sobriety. What would happen if, instead, we met people where they’re at? Stephanie talks to Ithaca’s Mayor Svante Myrick and Bronx harm-reductionist Hiawatha Collins about the inequities of our justice system and how we can do better, including treating all people with dignity and respect, g...

Today marks the 2-year anniversary of Stefano’s death, and his family is still asking: “How did this happen?” For most families dealing with addiction, treatment can feel like a Rubik’s cube. What works? What doesn’t? Are there Yelp reviews? On this episode, Stephanie talks to David Sheff, New York Times bestselling author of Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction, about the...

In this episode, Dr. Nzinga A. Harrison walks us through detox. Then, Stephanie is joined by Dr. Robert Meyers, the architect of Community Reinforcement Approach and Family Training (CRAFT), to discuss the “put your own oxygen mask on first” approach to interventions. Continue the conversation on your phone at https://flick.group/lastday. Last Day contains strong language, mature themes, and may n...

Most of us have seen an opioid overdose depicted on TV or in movies, but what happens in real life? On this episode, Stephanie talks to Karen Host, Senior Director at Cataldo Ambulance, and Dr. Jay, an emergency room doctor, about the anatomy of an overdose, what it’s like to save a life, the immediate aftermath, and the complexity of prescribing opioids for pain in the midst of an opioid crisis....

On this episode, Stefano Cordova Jr.’s family tries to make sense of Stefano’s overdose death and how they all got here. Then, Dr. Sam Snodgrass, a behavioral pharmacologist with a doctorate in biopsychology, explains how his own addiction to opioids is a disease and why understanding that is key to helping people with substance use disorders. Continue the conversation on your phone at https://fli...

On this episode, we retrace the steps of Stefano Cordova, Jr. on his last day of life. Stefano died of a fentanyl overdose on October 23, 2017 in Allston, MA. This is where our story begins. Continue the conversation on your phone at https://flick.group/lastday. Last Day contains strong language, mature themes, and may not be appropriate for all listeners.  Transcriptions available shortly after a...

Meet Stephanie Wittels Wachs, host of Last Day, and sister of the late Harris Wittels, comedian-writer-producer-actor, who died in 2015 of a heroin overdose. Harris’ close friends, Sarah Silverman and Aziz Ansari, also join Stephanie as she introduces the concept of the show and why it’s critical that it exists. Continue the conversation on your phone at https://flick.group/lastday. Last Day conta...

Let’s talk about what’s killing us, the stuff that’s hard to comprehend and getting worse every day. Lemonada co-founder and author Stephanie Wittels Wachs confronts massive epidemics with humanity, wit, and a quest for progress. Starting with overdose deaths and the opioid crisis, we zoom in on a person’s last day of life, exploring how they got there and how we, as a society, have gotten here. T...

Let’s talk about what’s killing us, the stuff that’s hard to comprehend and getting worse every day. Lemonada co-founder and author Stephanie Wittels Wachs confronts massive epidemics with humanity, wit, and a quest for progress. Zooming-in on a person’s last day of life, we explore how they got there and how we, as a society, have gotten here. Join the Lemonada/Last Day community on the Flick Cha...