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. 1d ago

    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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. May 6

    The Dandelion in the Window

    When you grow up in a home where alcohol and drugs are part of everyday life, it can be difficult to avoid being pulled into a generational cycle of addiction. It becomes your normal, what you know, what surrounds you. And too often, it’s intertwined with mental health struggles and abuse, making substances feel like a way to numb or escape the pain. That was the reality for today’s guest on Grieving Out Loud, Toni Handboy. Her childhood was shaped by trauma and loss. She experienced abuse, and her parents were often absent because of addiction. She was eventually taken from her grandparents and separated from her Lakota roots, moving between foster homes before later ending up in a juvenile detention center. During that time, Toni says she battled depression and suicidal thoughts. In an effort to cope, she turned to substances, continuing the very cycle she grew up around, as her addiction began to impact her own children. But Toni’s story doesn’t end there. While many struggle to break free, she has overcome that generational cycle and has now been in recovery for nearly two decades. Today, she’s not only rebuilding her life; she’s helping others who are facing the same battle. In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Toni shares her difficult but powerful story, what finally led her to seek help, and the message she hopes reaches those who feel trapped in addiction. Related episodes:  Growing up in the shadow of addiction She Promised It Would End With Her—Then It Didn’t Dr. 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

    1h 4m

  6. Apr 29

    Why 72,000 Deaths a Year Is Not a Success Story

    With the number of drug overdose deaths dropping, some are celebrating. But is there a risk in declaring victory too early and cutting funding for prevention? Today’s guest on Grieving Out Loud, an addiction researcher at Stanford, says not so fast. About 72,000 overdose deaths a year still exceeds the total number of Americans who died in the Vietnam War. Dr. Wayne Kepner says not only are far too many people still dying, but celebrating too early could cost more lives. He recently wrote an article titled, “America must not learn to live with 72,000 overdose deaths a year.” In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Dr. Kepner shares what history has taught us about past drug epidemics, and how those lessons can guide the path forward while preventing as many deaths as possible. Related episodes: A Drug Historian on What America Keeps Getting Wrong About the Fentanyl CrisisCan We Save Lives While Cutting Funding? A Tough Conversation at the TopHow Do We End the Fentanyl Epidemic? A Candid Conversation with a Former DEA Chief 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

    42 min

  7. Apr 22

    The Alcohol Addiction Treatment Many Don’t Know Exists

    If you haven’t experienced alcohol addiction yourself, chances are someone close to you has. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, roughly 29 million people in the United States are living with alcohol use disorder. It affects people from every walk of life, including many who never expected to struggle with substance use. Today’s guest on Grieving Out Loud, Katie Lain, says her path into addiction wasn’t sudden. It happened gradually, after spending more time around people who drank frequently, until she found herself caught in it. Katie eventually found her way out with the help of treatment and a medication that isn’t often part of the conversation. In this episode, she shares her story, how she reached out for help and what ultimately made the difference. Learn more about Katie's story and the Sinclair Method at Thrive Alcohol Recovery. Related Episodes: After a two-decades’ long alcohol addiction, a husband and father finds recover through Emily’s HopeAlcohol and women: A dangerous combinationA Wife’s Battle With Addiction, A Husband’s Journey to Love Her Through It 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

    46 min

  8. Apr 15

    The Fight Isn't Over: Mississippi's Attorney General on Opioids, Fentanyl, and What's Still at Stake

    When faced with a large crisis, taking the first step can feel daunting, especially when the companies involved hold significant money and power. That was the reality at the start of the opioid epidemic. Mississippi was one of the first states in the nation to take on opioid manufacturers in court. Now, the state’s attorney general joins us to talk about that fight, and the evolving threats still facing communities across the country. On this episode of Grieving Out Loud, we sit down with Attorney General Lynn Fitch to discuss how the state is working to save lives, from public awareness campaigns and legal action to expanding access to naloxone and fentanyl testing strips. Episodes Featured: Will Rops - He Couldn’t Save His Brother, But He’s Working to Save Yours Cameron Nielson - Saving Lives After Overdose One Call at a Time 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

    49 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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