A mother's journey through grief, addiction, and finding hope after losing her daughter
08/28/24 • 33 min
Your life dreams may include starting a business, building a dream home, or nurturing a healthy marriage. But for many, like Sandra Radford, the deepest dream is raising children—a dream she fought to achieve through IVF. Despite the heartbreak of losing two of her triplets during pregnancy, Sandra’s joy was boundless when she welcomed her daughter into the world.
But life’s harshest trials lay ahead. Sandra’s world shattered when her cherished daughter fell into the grip of substance use disorder, ultimately losing her battle to a fatal overdose. The pain was compounded as Sandra faced her own struggle with addiction, plunging her into a darkness where the will to live seemed almost impossible to find.
Yet Sandra’s story is not just one of loss and despair. It is a testament to resilience, a reminder that even when life delivers its cruelest blows, there remains a spark of hope. Sandra refuses to be defined by her grief. Instead, she strives to inspire others, showing that no matter how deep the pain, we must continue to dream, to fight, and to live.
The Emily’s Hope Substance Use Prevention Curriculum has been carefully designed to address growing concerns surrounding substance use and overdose in our communities. Our curriculum focuses on age-appropriate and evidence-based content that educates children about the risks of substance use while empowering them to make healthy choices.
Subscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope Updates
For more episodes and information, just go to our website, emilyshope.charity
Wishing you faith, hope and courage!
Podcast producers:
Casey Wonnenberg King & Marley Miller
Your life dreams may include starting a business, building a dream home, or nurturing a healthy marriage. But for many, like Sandra Radford, the deepest dream is raising children—a dream she fought to achieve through IVF. Despite the heartbreak of losing two of her triplets during pregnancy, Sandra’s joy was boundless when she welcomed her daughter into the world.
But life’s harshest trials lay ahead. Sandra’s world shattered when her cherished daughter fell into the grip of substance use disorder, ultimately losing her battle to a fatal overdose. The pain was compounded as Sandra faced her own struggle with addiction, plunging her into a darkness where the will to live seemed almost impossible to find.
Yet Sandra’s story is not just one of loss and despair. It is a testament to resilience, a reminder that even when life delivers its cruelest blows, there remains a spark of hope. Sandra refuses to be defined by her grief. Instead, she strives to inspire others, showing that no matter how deep the pain, we must continue to dream, to fight, and to live.
The Emily’s Hope Substance Use Prevention Curriculum has been carefully designed to address growing concerns surrounding substance use and overdose in our communities. Our curriculum focuses on age-appropriate and evidence-based content that educates children about the risks of substance use while empowering them to make healthy choices.
Subscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope Updates
For more episodes and information, just go to our website, emilyshope.charity
Wishing you faith, hope and courage!
Podcast producers:
Casey Wonnenberg King & Marley Miller
Previous Episode
From pediatrician to pill mill: The shocking case of Dr. Volkman
He’s one of the most notorious pill mill doctors: Dr. Paul Volkman. Sentenced to four consecutive life sentences for unlawfully prescribing pain medications that led to multiple deaths, his story is a shocking descent from a respected pediatrician and emergency room physician to a key figure in flooding southern Ohio with prescription drugs.
In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, we sit down with author Philip Eil, who spent nearly 15 years researching and writing about Volkman. His book, Prescription for Pain: How a Once-Promising Doctor Became the ‘Pill Mill Killer,' delves deep into Volkman’s transformation. Eil’s insights are drawn from interviews with Volkman himself, conversations with those affected by his crimes, and firsthand observations from Volkman’s courtroom sentencing. Tune in to hear his compelling perspective on the medical field’s role in the opioid epidemic.
The Emily’s Hope Substance Use Prevention Curriculum has been carefully designed to address growing concerns surrounding substance use and overdose in our communities. Our curriculum focuses on age-appropriate and evidence-based content that educates children about the risks of substance use while empowering them to make healthy choices.
Subscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope Updates
For more episodes and information, just go to our website, emilyshope.charity
Wishing you faith, hope and courage!
Podcast producers:
Casey Wonnenberg King & Marley Miller
Next Episode
Former Purdue Pharma sales rep turns whistleblower
Opioid deaths started skyrocketing when the powerful prescription painkiller OxyContin hit the market. Purdue Pharma, the company behind the drug, has been found guilty of numerous charges. It is now featured in a new Netflix original, "Painkiller," highlighting the company’s pushy sales tactics. For some viewers, like today’s guest, the show hits a bit too close to home.
Steven May joined Purdue as an OxyContin sales rep back in 1999. At first, he believed in what he was selling, but that changed quickly, and he became a whistleblower. Today, Steven shares his behind-the-scenes experience at Purdue during a time when the company was making huge profits as opioid addiction rates were spiraling out of control.
The Emily’s Hope Substance Use Prevention Curriculum has been carefully designed to address growing concerns surrounding substance use and overdose in our communities. Our curriculum focuses on age-appropriate and evidence-based content that educates children about the risks of substance use while empowering them to make healthy choices.
Subscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope Updates
For more episodes and information, just go to our website, emilyshope.charity
Wishing you faith, hope and courage!
Podcast producers:
Casey Wonnenberg King & Marley Miller
Grieving Out Loud: A Mother Coping with Loss in the Opioid Epidemic - A mother's journey through grief, addiction, and finding hope after losing her daughter
Transcript
Hey there, this is Angela Kenecke and I just wanted to issue a warning before you listen to this podcast. We cover, of course, the very difficult subject of overdose, a child loss, and we also cover the subject of suicide, suicide attempts and suicidal thoughts. So please know, take caution as you listen to this episode and do what you need to take care of yourself.
Angela KenneckeYour life dream
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/grieving-out-loud-a-mother-coping-with-loss-in-the-opioid-epidemic-234824/a-mothers-journey-through-grief-addiction-and-finding-hope-after-losin-72490174"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to a mother's journey through grief, addiction, and finding hope after losing her daughter on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy