Two moms form a bond following deaths of sons

Two moms form a bond following the stigmatized deaths of their sons

Every five minutes, an American dies from a drug overdose. It’s a startling statistic that Ann Breeding and Natalie Kritenbrink know about all too well. We caught up with the two Des Moines area mothers who lost sons to overdoses at the DEA Family Summit for parents who’ve lost children to fentanyl in November of 2022.

Hear how these two mothers have bonded over their grief and about their mission to prevent other moms from going through similar situations in this episode of Grieving Out Loud.

Natalie Kritenbrink, Ann Breeding, and Angela Kennecke at the DEA Family Summit for parents who have lost children to fentanyl

Natalie & Ann at the Governor’s office when she signed a proclamation for the state of Iowa to recognize Overdose Awareness Day
Natalie and Ann
Ann and her son, Daniel, two months before he died
Natalie and her son Zachary
Natalie’s son, Zachary, and his daughter

Steps of hope - Nobody walks alone. Ann Breeding's non-profit

Learn more about Ann Breeding’s non-profit, Steps of Hope here.

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.

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