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.
Episodes
229 episodes
A Childhood Shaped by Loss, a Life Reclaimed in Sobriety
How do you keep going when your world falls apart? It is a question even adults struggle to answer, so imagine what it is like for a child. For many, the pain of losing someone they love becomes unbearable. In the search for something, anything...
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Season 7
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Episode 228
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37:04
Murder Took One Son, Fentanyl Took the Other
New York City is home to more than twice the population of any other U.S. city, so when a story makes headlines there, it usually means it’s something big. But for Scott Caddell, the reason his son’s name appeared in the news was devastat...
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Season 7
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Episode 227
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47:01
How Do We End the Fentanyl Epidemic? A Candid Conversation with a Former DEA Chief
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...
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Season 7
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Episode 226
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44:35
A Father’s Road Trip for Grief, Healing and Hope
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 fe...
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Season 7
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Episode 225
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35:43
Grieving Moms Take on Snapchat and Congress After Their Sons' Fentanyl Deaths
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 beli...
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Season 7
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Episode 224
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39:13
Can We Save Lives While Cutting Funding? A Tough Conversation at the Top
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 crisi...
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Season 7
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Episode 223
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35:25
Your To-Die List: Bestselling Author on Living Fully and Resiliently
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...
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Season 7
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Episode 222
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42:20
He Wanted Justice for His Son, So He Became the Investigator
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 re...
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Season 7
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Episode 221
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38:56
Faces We Can't Forget: The INTO LIGHT Project
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 vis...
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Season 7
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Episode 220
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35:50
Forever 15, A Young Life Stolen By Fentanyl
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 eff...
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Season 7
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Episode 219
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35:00
Naloxone Saved Me, Now I’m Saving Others: Morgan’s Story
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 coura...
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Season 7
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Episode 218
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32:26
Telling Everyone’s Story While Hiding Her Own: A Journalist's Battle with Addiction
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 cl...
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Season 7
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Episode 217
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45:52
‘It Was Like Going to My Own Funeral:’ Identical Twin Talks Life After Loss
Identical twins often share an extraordinary bond—shaped not only by shared DNA but by a deep emotional connection. For Christa Parravani and her twin sister, Cara, that bond was strengthened by a difficult, abusive childhood. But then came the...
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Season 7
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Episode 216
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37:48
He Couldn’t Save His Brother, But He’s Working to Save Yours
There’s something uniquely powerful about the bond between siblings. They’re like built-in best friends — there for the good, the bad, and everything in between. But when someone loses a brother or sister, their grief is often overlooked. Many ...
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Season 7
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Episode 215
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31:41
Growing Up with Grief: Emily’s Siblings Open Up
In this deeply personal episode of Grieving Out Loud, host Angela Kennecke sits down with her own children to talk about the very public loss of their sister, Emily, who died of fentanyl poisoning in 2018. While the nation saw the news story, w...
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Season 7
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Episode 214
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30:12
When Words Are All That’s Left After Suicide
Sometimes, life delivers blow after blow, leaving you gasping for air. Whether it’s the loss of a job, a home, or someone you love, grief can feel all-consuming—like joy may never return. For Betsy Stephenson, the heartbreak came in rapid succe...
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Season 7
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Episode 213
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39:08
A Mother's Warning About Laced Marijuana
As more states legalize marijuana, its use is on the rise across the country. A recent analysis of National Survey on Drug Use and Health data shows that daily marijuana consumption has now surpassed daily alcohol use. But for one grieving moth...
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Season 7
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Episode 212
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34:28
A Mother Speaks Out After Her Daughter’s Deadly Online Encounter
Social media can be a great way to connect with friends and family, but do you really know what your child is doing online? The DEA warns that drug networks are increasingly using these platforms to find new customers, while sex traffickers als...
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Season 7
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Episode 211
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49:37
She Dialed a Hotline Before Using Drugs: That Call Saved Her Life
As the United States continues to grapple with a deadly opioid crisis, Narcan—a medication that can reverse opioid overdoses—has become more accessible. Experts credit this expanded availability as one reason overdose deaths have declined over ...
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Season 7
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Episode 210
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40:33
‘The ugliest, biggest elephant in the room:’ Confronting addiction as a disease
Nicolas Getz once had a very specific image of what someone suffering from drug addiction looked like—a person panhandling on the street, wearing tattered clothing. But in his 20s, he learned firsthand that addiction doesn’t fit a single stereo...
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Season 7
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Episode 209
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40:18
A Pill Bought via Craigslist Cost Him His Life
Peter and Erica Zurkow never imagined they would be part of a nationwide TV special—especially for a reason that once felt unimaginable. They thought their 2...
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Season 7
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Episode 208
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40:23
Mother Blames Cannabis-Induced Psychosis for Son’s Death
As more states legalize marijuana, its use is becoming increasingly normalized—even among teenagers. According to the latest data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, one in four high school seniors reported using cannabis in the past yea...
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Season 7
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Episode 207
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40:06
Beating the Odds from Gang Life to Changing Lives
From an abusive childhood to growing up in extreme poverty and joining a gang at just 11 years old, Jose Rivera’s path could have led to devastation. Most of the people he once ran with are no longer alive—but Jose beat the odds. Now, he's dedi...
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Season 7
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Episode 206
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36:45
Saving Lives After Overdose One Call at a Time
Every six minutes, an American dies from a drug overdose—let that sink in. Every six minutes.The United States is in the midst of its deadliest drug epidemic, yet many overdose deaths could be prevented. One critical warning sign? A non-...
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Season 7
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Episode 205
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28:43