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This podcast was created to give a voice to those who have lost someone close to them from an accidental overdose. Parents, spouses, sisters, brothers and others will be interviewed to celebrate the life of their loved one who died from an overdose and to remember this person as more than their addiction. We will explore how others cope and pass on this information to those who are grieving and feel they have nowhere to turn. Unfortunately, there are many out there and the numbers are growin ...
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Sheree and Vinnie were not only sister and brother, but also best friends. They were three years apart and went through everything in life together. Vinnie had a beautiful spirit and was an amazing person. Sheree’s brother-in-law, Jorge, was in the family for 15 years and was more like a little brother. He had the purest heart of anyone she had eve…
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Joel excelled at writing. He wrote his first book when he was in the second grade and later won an award for an essay about his grandfather. He also loved to write song lyrics and developed an ability to rap when he was in high school. With his lyrics and music, he developed a following for his band, The Even Keel. Joel struggled with drugs for man…
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If you wanted to find Blake, you only had to go to the fire station down the street from his house. At a very young age, he already knew that he wanted to be a fire fighter. He was an excellent violin player and enjoyed karate. He was introduced to drugs from an acquaintance of his girlfriend at a young age. He sought help and was sober for a long …
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Charles (also known as Buddy) was an old soul. At a very young age, he would sit and talk to his aunt like he was the same age, and he treasured his family. He loved to travel, had lots clothes, and collected all types of sneakers. He was prescribed a pain medication after a serious car accident that started him on the road to his addiction. He pas…
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Becca was a wild child who grew into a confident, young adult and was able to talk to anybody. Her passions included animals, theater and music. She was also a talented artist who fell in love with tattoos and thought of the human body as a canvas. After a tragic event in her early teens, she self-medicated with marijuana and then other drugs. In J…
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Stephen lit up any room he walked into and was the guy who made others laugh. He was a musician who played guitar and piano, a welder who used his talents to make artwork, and a world traveler. His addiction to pain medication began soon after having a wisdom tooth extracted while he was in the navy. His addiction progressed over ten years until he…
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Samantha was stubborn, strong-willed, and struggled with authority. However, she also loved fiercely, was passionate in what she believed in, and was always there when you needed a friend. Her sister, Brittany, would call her about everything and knew she could always count on her. When Samantha broke up with her boyfriend of eight years, she turne…
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David had a great job, loved hunting, sports, and was very involved with his family. His cousin, Rosalie, describes him as a “boy’s boy.” In April 2021, Rosalie received a call from one of his three brothers telling her the tragic news—David had passed away due to an accidental overdose. She copes with her grief by remembering her cousin through po…
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Michael was an incredibly hard worker—he followed in his dad’s footsteps and worked for the railroad. He never said, “no”, was so tender hearted, and silly. His sisters, Courtney and Hattie, cope with his passing from an overdose in July 2022 through humor, closeness, and strength. By telling their brother’s story, they strive to advocate for famil…
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Jessica wanted to help others and thought about working professionally as a nurse. She loved children, would help out at summer camps, and had several babysitting positions. She was always the one people would call if they needed help. When she was around 17, she was in a car accident and was prescribed opioids for her pain. She went from using opi…
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Hannah was loyal, fierce, and lived & loved with an unmatched ferocity and intensity. Her father, Cody, said she helped those who were marginalized, forgotten, left behind, misunderstood, hurting, or abused. She put others before herself, tried to take care of them, and made sure they were safe and okay. Hannah personally struggled for years with m…
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Meggie describes how she and her three siblings were a close-knit group of four who faced everything together when they were growing up. However, in 2015, her older brother, Michael, 28, died from an accidental overdose which fueled a raging addiction in her mom and little sister, Bridget. In 2022, things took a turn for the worse when her mom died…
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Angela lost three of her four siblings (Nicky, Steven & Cindy): two passed away from an overdose and one from a massive heart attack. She remembers them with pictures and other special mementos, and by telling their stories. She copes by keeping busy with helping to raise her sisters’ children, plus listening to grief podcasts, attending grief meet…
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Jack was an excellent student, and enjoyed sports throughout his elementary and high school years. He graduated from college with a major in actuarial science and landed his first job. But his mother, Maribeth, said he worked very long hours, and although he sometimes said he enjoyed it, she thought the isolation and long hours were very stressful …
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Nickoli was a beautiful soul who never felt like he was heard or loved. His mother died from an overdose when he was very young, he didn’t know his father, and he was shuffled among family until he landed in his forever home with his adoptive mom, Angelique. From the day he joined her family, he called her mom and her children considered him an old…
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Brandi had a typical childhood: she participated in sports, dance, girl scouts; went on family vacations; and had lots of family get-togethers. But as she got older, she became argumentative and got into a lot of trouble. It wasn’t until her sister, Kaylee, was taking a psychology course that she determined that her sister fit the description of so…
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Aaron loved music, debating, and getting together with friends and family. He was also an avid reader and taught himself to read before he even started school. His mom, Sheryl, was his biggest fan. However, Aaron dropped out of school at a young age and started down the wrong path. After he turned 22, Sheryl got the call that no parent wants to get…
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Josh was a great person who happened to have both the disease of addiction and the disease of depression. It was his birth father who introduced Josh to heroin when he was 13 years old, setting up his path to a lifelong habit. He overdosed from fentanyl poisoning in a sober house in 2016 when he was 32, leaving behind his beautiful daughter, Grace.…
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Jillian was a “very wanted baby” who was a good student and could make anyone laugh, according to her mom, Jackie. As she got older, she became depressed and suffered from anxiety, and turned to alcohol and marijuana. In later years, she joined a gang and was introduced to methamphetamines. She tried to become sober but her addiction was terminal u…
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Kristina was a straight “A” student who loved cheerleading, dancing and gymnastics. Life was wonderful with her parents and older sister, Michelle, until she turned 15 and was introduced to heroin by her boyfriend. From that time, her life was a struggle to stay clean. Everything seemed to be going well in January 2022, when she had a relapse. When…
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Jason loved learning and was a joy to be around. He dreamt of being a pilot and set out on his life’s journey. However, during his first college semester, he broke his elbow, was placed on pain medication and everything changed. He dropped out of college and spent many years in the throes of addiction. His mom, Dianne, dreaded getting “the call” an…
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Samantha Ruth is not only a psychologist who helps those dealing with their grief, she also knows loss firsthand after her husband died unexpectedly. Her mission is to change the way the world views both grief and mental health, so people can openly speak about whatever issues they have and get the help they need without fear of judgment, labels, a…
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From an early age, Miranda loved animals. At any given time, she had as many as three cats, three dogs, five chickens, a parakeet, a horse, as well as fish and rodents. She went on to become a certified pet care technician at age 11, and a wrangler at 16. Even in these happy times, Miranda suffered from mental illness and was later diagnosed with b…
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At 35, Noel was on a great path after being clean for a long time. He was in an accelerated nursing program, was a daddy to a beautiful daughter, and had everything to live for. But then COVID-19 hit, and his mom, Kathleen, feels that it had a lot to do with his relapse since he was alone and studying virtually. Isolation is not good for anyone suf…
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Mary Kate loved the ‘60s: the colorful clothes, the message of peace & love, and the rock music like Pink Floyd. Her mom, Carol, said her daughter was born in the wrong decade. Everything changed when Mary Kate started losing weight and her parents found out that she had been using drugs. They were able to check Mary Kate into rehab, where she was …
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When Melody was born, she was named for peace, love and harmony. She lit up a room with her smile and was hilarious without ever knowing she was funny. All that changed after she tried heroin and addiction took over her life. Her mom, Toni, remembers how super close they were through her teenage years and beyond. Tragically, this vibrant, beautiful…
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Joanne remembers everyone liking her brother Johnny. He had the happiest and loudest laugh, and the biggest and best hugs. He was great at soccer, and track & field, and won many awards. They hung out together since they were close in age and were referred to as the favorite brother/sister combination. But all that changed when Johnny succumbed to …
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Suzanne’s son, Johnny, suffered from addiction until she got the knock on her door she was dreading and was told the news she never wanted to hear. Her son had died from an overdose at the age of 46. Johnny’s younger years were hopeful when he was studying to be a medical doctor, but he succumbed to mental illness and addiction for most of his adul…
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Elaine was a world traveler who had a passion for cooking, and loved all types of music from rock ‘n roll to reggae. She had her daughter, Stephanie, later in life at age 38, and they shared a very close relationship. However, Elaine was addicted to alcohol as far back as Stephanie can remember. A few months ago, the day came that Stephanie dreaded…
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Quincie loved hunting and riding his motorcycle; loved his children, family and friends; and was a really good cook. But he also put his family through 10 years of heartache and pain as his addiction grew from marijuana to heroin. He passed away at the age of 31 from an accidental overdose while living in a halfway house. His mother, Jennifer, is c…
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Maddy was a young woman of extremes—a soft, kind and gentle heart with a powerful, fierce and stubborn mind. She never quite understood the word, “No”, subsequently she could always open your mind to try and see things her way. She excelled at school, winning a partial scholarship to a university where she planned on being a lawyer. However, from a…
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Mayson was a free spirit who was passionate about music and cooking. He was a self-taught guitar player at nine-years-old, and also learned the piano, trumpet and French horn. Even though he had a close relationship with his mother, Amanda, and his family, he had a troubled youth and was expelled from multiple schools mainly for drug use. At 22, he…
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Kevin tried for years to free himself from his addiction but lost the battle at 41 years old in January 2019. His sister, Sherry, talks about how they stuck together like glue after suffering from abuse during their childhood. Sherry says that Kevin protected her even though he was only five years old. When Kevin felt they were finally safe, he num…
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Jackie was expecting to celebrate her son Jackson’s 20th birthday on January 11th but instead she was called to the hospital where Jackson passed away from an accidental overdose. Jackson was an amazing kid and a gifted athlete at 6’4” and 220 lbs. He wrestled and played football throughout high school. He also loved video games, cooking, crafting,…
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Carol knew her son, Penn, had issues with alcohol but never imagined he had started using other substances until he passed away from an overdose in 2017. Penn grew up in a typical household in which he was an active member of the scouts, went camping with his family, and attended church. However, he was prone to panic attack and anxiety while in hi…
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Annie feels like she is aimlessly just making it from one day to another after her son Josh died in January 2019 when he was 33. Ten years ago after a car accident, Josh left the emergency room with a 30 day supply of Vicodin with refills. Annie says it took only a few pills for Josh to become addicted. She describes how she went through hell durin…
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Joseph’s ambitions of working as an airplane mechanic were cut short after a car accident landed him in surgery where he was given pain medication. When his pain medicine prescription ran out, he searched out relief illegally. His mother, Jean, never suspected that her son had become addicted until he confessed and asked for help. It was a journey …
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Caitlin, 22, tried to brace herself for her dad’s (Sean) death since she knew of his addiction, but when her mom told her that her dad had died from an accidental overdose, her heart broke. Sean, 57, will never walk her down the aisle or hold his grandchildren. Caitlin has found solace by attending GRASP meetings http://grasphelp.org/m/ and talking…
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In her mom Stephanie’s words, Jade was born defying convention. She lived life as an unapologetic original; and was a fiercely loyal friend and champion of her fellow woman. She loved books and detested anything that was ordinary. She was a devotee of glamour and glitter but her thousand watt smile was never outshone. Jade was 26 when she was found…
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Allison told her mom, Leah, that she started using meth to help her keep up with three children, a job and everything else in her life. But then it got out of control and her mom, Leah, feels that Allison was high when she got into an accident that ended her life while driving a four-wheeler. Leah says she is in the “anger” stage and going through …
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Throughout her addiction, Jillian wrote extensively about how she just wanted to be herself again. In a letter written in the last month of her life entitled “Who Am I”, she wanted to use her skills as a cosmetologist to help people like themselves—a feeling that eluded her. Annmarie talks about the struggles her daughter faced during the 15 years …
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Catherine graduated high school at the top of her class in 2011 and, only six years later in 2017, her life was taken by an accidental overdose. She was a beautiful, intelligent, absolutely brilliant, complex human, according to her mother, Rose. Rose said she wants to share Catherine’s story and spread awareness on what can be done to prevent deat…
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Steven relapsed after 18 years of sobriety after he was prescribed pain medication for lymphoma. He traveled from Oregon to Arizona for help, and to eventually move his family. He got the help he needed and was sober for 63 days. Unfortunately, he decided to use one last time and was found by police passed away sitting underneath a tree. Melissa wh…
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At a very young age, Jackson found a love of music which propelled him into a career as a musician and actor. He appeared in the 2011 film “Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer”, and the ABC sitcom “The Goldbergs” as Ari Caldwell. He also performed in episodes of “Modern Family” and “Arrested Development”. His music was featured in “Forever My Girl…
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Michael C. was a spontaneous and creative person who lived his life with compassion and without judgment. In junior high school, he developed an interest in skateboarding and it became a huge part of his life. However, he also discovered alcohol and drugs, which may have helped with his anxiety but also changed his outlook on life. He progressed in…
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Cherish fell in love with Mitchell who was tall and handsome soon after they met. There was a special bond they shared right from the start of their relationship. They moved in and were expecting a baby when Mitchell’s addiction became out of control. He tried rehab and was his old self but it didn’t last long, and he died from an accidental overdo…
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Ellen’s daughter, Saige, 23, overdosed and died in an airport bathroom in 2018 waiting for an airplane to take her to a California rehab with her ticket still clutched in her hand. Addiction took over after Saige was prescribed oxycodone by her dentist after having her four wisdom teeth extracted. Ellen is working with her legislator to pass a bill…
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Vincenza’s son Michael passed away over two years ago in February 2017 from an accidental overdose when he was 27. He was the clown of the family and entertained his brother, sister and parents with the entire Monty Python script. He loved to draw, work with metal, and dreamt of traveling the country in a converted bus. Whatever he did, he was very…
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Alice’s husband Jeffrey passed away in September 2017 from an accidental overdose when he was in his late 50s. They were married for over 10 years when this unexpected tragedy occurred, and has caused angry feelings between her and her husband’s family. Jeffrey loved horses, traveled all over the world, and spent over 20 years in the computer indus…
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Brenda’s son, Garrett, died in a hotel room almost a year ago at the age of 37. His passions included cars and football. In fact, he was born on a Super Bowl Sunday. His favorite team was the Philadelphia Eagles in which Brenda still cheers on and looks forward to watching. He attended college where he studied political science and computers. Besid…
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