Founder of Facebook group to help mothers grieving overdose deaths loses a second child to overdose

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Pj Champion Sallie started the Facebook group #NotInVain four years ago following the death of her 24-year-old daughter, Christina, in 2017. Tragically, Pj’s 31-year-old daughter, Ashley, also died of fentanyl poisoning on January 1st of this year. She now joins the surprisingly high number of parents who have lost more than one child to overdose. She wrote in Ashley’s obituary: “My grieving mother’s plea is for you to reserve judgment for just a moment & see my daughter as those that love her do. You see, the stigma of addiction is so incredibly hard on those with addictions, as well as those that love them.”

Pj first joined Angela Kennecke on the podcast one year ago and is back to talk about how she is coping with the deaths of her two children and raising her grandchildren, all while continuing to help other mothers find hope. #NotInVain is marking four years of offering support to grieving mothers in the opioid epidemic and has now grown to 6,000 members.

Pj with some of the mothers part of the Facebook Group, #NotInVein, who have lost children to overdose

MEET THE HOST

Angela Kennecke

Angela Kennecke is a journalist who lost her 21-year-old daughter Emily to fentanyl poisoning on May 16, 2018. Angela is “grieving out loud” to try to put an end to this epidemic by stopping the stigma and promoting the treatment of substance use disorder as the disease it is. Anyone coping with loss and looking for inspiration can benefit from listening to this podcast.