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

Angela Kennecke
  • 4.7 (130)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Weekly

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.

  1. 4d ago

    Teen Voices Powered by Purpose

    This week we are revisiting one of our favorite episodes as we prepare to head to Orlando for CADCA's 25th Annual Mid-Year Training Institute, July 12-16, 2026. CADCA, or Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, represents thousands of community coalitions across the country working to prevent substance use and save lives. This year's conference theme is Powered by Purpose, and we could not think of a more fitting episode to share as we gear up to be there. In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Angela sits down with two young people who embody exactly that spirit. Annabelle Lovell is a high school student who served as the opening speaker at the 2025 CADCA Mid-Year national conference, bringing teen perspectives on substance use prevention to one of the most influential stages in the country. Joining her is Mollie Kruse, a member of the Emily's Hope Youth Prevention Coalition, who has taken her advocacy all the way to Washington D.C., including a meeting with the Senate majority leader. Together, Annabelle and Mollie share what actually works when it comes to helping teens say no, and more importantly, inspiring their peers and communities to make better decisions. This episode is a powerful reminder of why prevention work matters and what it looks like when young people lead the way. If you are heading to CADCA Mid-Year in Orlando, we hope to see you there!  Learn more about the 2026 CADCA Mid-Year Training Institute here.  Send us Fan Mail Behind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.They were... daughterssonsmothersfathersfriendswiveshusbandscousinsboyfriendsgirlfriends.They were More Than Just A Number.  Support the show Connect with Angela Follow Grieving Out Loud Follow Emily's Hope Read Angela’s Blog Subscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope Updates Suggest a Guest 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

    34 min

  2. Jun 24

    After His Son's Death, Music Executive Takes on Mental Health and Fentanyl Crisis

    As a veteran of the music and entertainment industry, David Nathan has helped shape the careers of A-list artists including Taylor Swift, Amy Winehouse and Ariana Grande. But behind that success, he faced a loss he never could have imagined. His son took what he believed was a Percocet, unaware it was laced with fentanyl, and died at just 19. Now, Nathan is focused on his most personal work yet: helping others navigate mental health challenges in his son’s honor. What makes that mission even more meaningful is that it began with his son. Before his death, he founded an apparel company called Happy Jack, donating a portion of proceeds to support children facing mental health struggles. In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Nathan shares his son’s story, what he hopes other parents can learn, and how he’s carrying forward a mission rooted in love, loss and purpose. Visit the Happy Jack website.  Watch The Risks are Real live assembly here. Related episodes:  Promising young entrepreneur dies after taking counterfeit PercocetThe Voice You Knew — The Story You Didn’tWhen Men Don’t Cry: Confronting the Culture of Silent Grief Send us Fan Mail Behind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.They were... daughterssonsmothersfathersfriendswiveshusbandscousinsboyfriendsgirlfriends.They were More Than Just A Number.  Support the show Connect with Angela Follow Grieving Out Loud Follow Emily's Hope Read Angela’s Blog Subscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope Updates Suggest a Guest 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

    40 min

  3. Jun 17

    How High Achievement Masked a Quiet Battle with Addiction

    Today’s guest on Grieving Out Loud found success early in life. Mark Ehrenkranz built a career in the entertainment industry in California and New York, taking on a range of roles. But beneath that success, he was quietly fighting a battle with addiction. Over the years, Mark says recovery would come in long stretches, sometimes years before everything would unravel again. In one case, he says it was triggered by a medication prescribed by a doctor. Other times, it started with the thought that just one pill wouldn’t hurt. But, as he puts it, that’s not how his brain is wired. Mark says one of the turning points in his recovery has been learning to sit with discomfort, whether it’s difficult emotions, hard moments or even physical pain, instead of trying to escape it. In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Mark opens up about the highs and lows of his journey through substance use disorder, and the tools that have helped him not only rebuild his life in recovery, but find a deeper sense of joy along the way. Explore the Go Humans!™ website here. Related episodes: From Hollywood to healing: A mom’s battle with Ambien addictionA Wife’s Battle With Addiction, A Husband’s Journey to Love Her Through ItThe Voice You Knew — The Story You Didn’t Send us Fan Mail Behind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.They were... daughterssonsmothersfathersfriendswiveshusbandscousinsboyfriendsgirlfriends.They were More Than Just A Number.  Support the show Connect with Angela Follow Grieving Out Loud Follow Emily's Hope Read Angela’s Blog Subscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope Updates Suggest a Guest 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

    54 min

  4. Jun 10

    From Prison to the Runway

    She’s walked the runway at New York Fashion Week, won titles like Miss Mt. Rushmore, and may soon have a documentary made about her life. But just a few years ago, Danica Miller was on a very different path. At just 13, she entered treatment for the first time, struggling with an addiction to inhalants. That struggle deepened over the years, leading to harder drugs, including meth, and at 19, a prison sentence after assaulting a law enforcement officer while intoxicated. With a felony on her record, rebuilding her life wasn’t easy. After years of addiction and setbacks, Danica found her way to recovery, a journey shaped by pain, but also resilience. In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, she shares her story, showing that even in the darkest moments, change is possible, and how she’s turned her past into something that now helps others. Learn more and follow Danica's Thrive Tribe group on Facebook here. Related episodes: The Dandelion in the WindowThe Voice You Knew — The Story You Didn’tDr. Sophie Two Hawk on Healing Native Communities from Addiction and Trauma Send us Fan Mail Behind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.They were... daughterssonsmothersfathersfriendswiveshusbandscousinsboyfriendsgirlfriends.They were More Than Just A Number.  Support the show Connect with Angela Follow Grieving Out Loud Follow Emily's Hope Read Angela’s Blog Subscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope Updates Suggest a Guest 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

    37 min

  5. Jun 3

    She Lost Her Son. Then She Started Following the Money.

    Imagine losing your child to an opioid overdose and then spending years fighting to hold those responsible accountable: the manufacturers, the distributors, the pharmacies. All of it driven by grief too heavy to put down and a determination that refused to quit. And then, you finally win in court. But the money meant to prevent other overdoses isn’t always used the way it was intended. Today’s guest on Grieving Out Loud, Alexis Pleus, knows that reality all too well. She lost her son, Jeff, to an overdose, and has since turned her grief into action, working to ensure other families don’t have to endure the same loss. One of her latest efforts focuses on how New York is spending billions of dollars from opioid settlements. In this episode, Alexis shares what her research uncovered, what she wants the public to understand, and why she’s continuing to push for accountability in how those funds are used. Read the full report from Truth Pharm: Community Solutions, State Exclusions: The Misalignment of New York’s Opioid Settlement Funds here.  Watch Truth Pharm's Webinar: Researching and Writing on Opioid Settlement Fund Spending here.  Learn how your state is spending opioid settlement dollars using the Opioid Settlement Tracker website here.  Related episodes: The Scourge of Fentanyl & Meth on our NationShedding light on underreported overdose deaths with Truth PharmThousands of Tombstones by the U.S. Capitol to Honor Lives Lost to Substance UseSend us Fan Mail Behind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.They were... daughterssonsmothersfathersfriendswiveshusbandscousinsboyfriendsgirlfriends.They were More Than Just A Number.  Support the show Connect with Angela Follow Grieving Out Loud Follow Emily's Hope Read Angela’s Blog Subscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope Updates Suggest a Guest 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

    47 min

  6. May 27

    He Lost His Brother, Then Lost Himself

    After a traumatic loss, like the death of someone we love, it can be tempting to avoid the hard work of grieving. Instead of facing that pain, people often try to numb it through drugs, alcohol or acting out. Others throw themselves into distractions, anything to avoid what’s really going on underneath. For today’s guest on Grieving Out Loud, Hakeem Bourne McFarlane, that outlet was sports. After his younger brother died from cancer at just six years old, Hakeem poured everything he had into athletics. On the surface, it looked like a positive path forward. But he says it was really a way to avoid his grief. Along the way, he also put intense,  and ultimately unhealthy, pressure on himself to succeed in his brother’s name. But what happens when the thing you’ve been using to hold it all together suddenly disappears? The grief is still there, and now there’s nothing left to outrun it. In this episode, Hakeem shares how an injury and substance use pulled him away from sports, forcing him to finally confront the pain he had been carrying for years. Now, he’s using that experience to help hundreds of others rebuild their lives through small, consistent steps and accountability. Learn more and explore Hakeem's website here.  Related episodes: How to Live With Grief, Not Be Defined By ItWhen Men Don’t Cry: Confronting the Culture of Silent GriefCoping With Grief and Choosing Life After TragedySend us Fan Mail Behind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.They were... daughterssonsmothersfathersfriendswiveshusbandscousinsboyfriendsgirlfriends.They were More Than Just A Number.  Support the show Connect with Angela Follow Grieving Out Loud Follow Emily's Hope Read Angela’s Blog Subscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope Updates Suggest a Guest 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

    46 min

  7. May 20

    What Grief Really Looks Like and Why We Don't Talk About It

    Grief can feel incredibly isolating, and it's something our society still struggles to talk about openly. The full range of emotions, the unexpected reactions, the weight of it all. In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, we're leaning into the conversations that too often go unspoken. Stephanie Peirolo’s story is one of both loss and resilience. After losing her father as a teenager, she battled substance use disorder. Years later, after finding recovery, she faced another unimaginable loss, her 19-year-old son. For months, Stephanie kept her story to herself. But over time, she found that sharing it became part of her healing. Today, she is a board-certified executive coach and writer, with a new book sharing her journey. In this episode, Peirolo opens up about her story, the parts of grief people rarely talk about, and how, after profound heartbreak, she’s found a way to laugh and live fully again. Learn more and purchase Stephanie's book here. Listen to Stephanie’s story on The Moth here.  Related episodes: Growing Up with Grief: Emily’s Siblings Open UpBroken Heart Syndrome: 4 Ways We GrieveCoping With Grief and Choosing Life After Tragedy Send us Fan Mail Behind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.They were... daughterssonsmothersfathersfriendswiveshusbandscousinsboyfriendsgirlfriends.They were More Than Just A Number.  Support the show Connect with Angela Follow Grieving Out Loud Follow Emily's Hope Read Angela’s Blog Subscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope Updates Suggest a Guest 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

    51 min

  8. May 13

    Mom Survives Back-to-Back Loss of Son and Husband, Finds Meaning in Life Again

    It’s often said there’s no greater pain than losing a child. Today’s guest on Grieving Out Loud, Kym Hinchey, knows that devastation all too well. After helping her son through recovery from substance use disorder, she lost him to a sudden overdose. Just a few months after finding her 27-year-old son, Adrian, dead, Kym returned home to another unimaginable loss-her husband, also found dead on their bedroom floor. In the span of just a few months, Kym lost both her son and her husband. The grief was overwhelming. She says there was a time when the pain felt constant, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to keep going. But instead, Kym decided to devote herself to understanding grief and learning how to live through it. Today, she’s found meaning and purpose again, and she uses her experience to help others who are navigating loss. In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Kym shares her story with honesty and courage—the lessons grief has taught her, and how she’s found a way to keep moving forward. Download Kym's Free PDF "Five Things I Wish I’d Known at Ground Zero Grief" here.  Find Kym’s book, Then and Now: The Evolution of Grief, here.  Related episodes: Broken Heart Syndrome: 4 Ways We Grieve How to Live With Grief, Not Be Defined By It When Men Don’t Cry: Confronting the Culture of Silent Grief Send us Fan Mail Behind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.They were... daughterssonsmothersfathersfriendswiveshusbandscousinsboyfriendsgirlfriends.They were More Than Just A Number.  Support the show Connect with Angela Follow Grieving Out Loud Follow Emily's Hope Read Angela’s Blog Subscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope Updates Suggest a Guest 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

    54 min
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4.7
out of 5
130 Ratings

About

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.

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