Grieving Out Loud: A Mother Coping with Loss in the Opioid Epidemic
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 overdose crisis. Grieving Out Loud is a heartfelt and unflinching podcast where Angela shares stories of devastating loss, hard-earned hope, and the journey toward healing. Through powerful interviews with other grieving families, experts, advocates, and people in recovery, this podcast sheds light on the human side of the epidemic — and how we can all be part of the solution. Whether you're coping with grief, supporting a loved one, or working to end the stigma, you’ll find connection, comfort, and inspiration here.
Grieving Out Loud: A Mother Coping with Loss in the Opioid Epidemic
Cookies, Grief, and Hope: A Mother’s Recipe for Healing After Fentanyl Loss
Grief changes everything. It’s the kind of pain that steals your breath and reshapes your world, a weight that never fully lifts. For Stephanie Wiley, that pain runs deeper than words can express. She suddenly lost her teenage son, the boy who never missed a chance to say “I love you,” to fentanyl poisoning.
In the aftermath of unimaginable loss, Stephanie found healing in an unexpected place: her kitchen. What began as therapy, a way to cope with grief one cookie at a time, has grown into her purpose. Baking has become her business, her mission, and a tribute to her son’s memory, helping raise awareness about the fentanyl epidemic along the way.
In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Stephanie shares her powerful journey as she reflects on the struggle to find help for her son’s substance use disorder, the fleeting joy of his recovery, and the heartbreak that followed. Through it all, she has found a way to keep his spirit alive by spreading warmth, sweetness, and hope to others who know the ache of loss.
Click here to visit the Tommy's Cookie Co. website and purchase your cookies!
If you enjoyed this episode, you may like the following:
Choosing Love After a Hate Crime Took Her Son and Father
Surviving the holiday season while grieving
What a mother wishes she knew before losing her son to fentanyl
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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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
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