DeRay Mckesson and TeRay Ross are world-class community leaders, siblings, and the best of friends. They also grew up surrounded by addiction in both their immediate and extended family. As a result, they spent lots of time as kids hanging out in the back of 12 step meetings, absorbing lessons that continue to impact them as adults. This week, we sit down with DeRay, TeRay, and their dad, Calvin, to talk about how their understanding of addiction has evolved over the years and how they continue ...
Feb 19, 2020•46 min
When Emily found out she was pregnant, her life began to snowball in a positive direction. She stopped using heroin, reconnected with family and was rocking it as a new mom to her beloved daughter, Carter. Sadly, Emily relapsed and died when Cater was 9-months old, leaving Emily’s mom, Joanne, to navigate the unexpected journey of becoming a new mom all over again. Today, Carter is four years old and thriving. She loves her Aunt Diane and Grandma “Mommy.” In this episode, we hear the heartfelt s...
Feb 12, 2020•37 min
Brandy and Wilma are two women who have a lot in common. They both grew up in California, they both experienced profound childhood trauma, and they both turned to drugs to soothe their pain. But their stories end very differently. Brandy died 10 years ago, at 28 years old. Wilma is now in her 50’s, approaching 10 years sober and living a busy, meaningful life. In this episode, we look at cycles of trauma and how facing it head-on can make all the difference in recovery. Please note, this episode...
Feb 05, 2020•54 min
Dr. Gabor Maté is a world-renowned trauma expert who can (and will) deconstruct your happy childhood in a matter of minutes. At least, that’s what he did to our host, Stephanie. We start this episode with the question, “Why?” Why would someone get addicted to opioids? In this riveting interview, Dr. Maté expands our definition of trauma, breaks down how childhood trauma leaves wounds and how addictions of every kind are an attempt to soothe those wounds, and explains that healing is possible. Pl...
Jan 29, 2020•43 min
Dave and Chris co-hosted 142 episodes of Dopey, a recovery podcast about “drugs, addiction and dumb shit,” when the worst thing that could have ever happened, happened: Chris relapsed and died. This week, Stephanie sits down with Dave, who’s still hosting Dopey, to chat about Chris’s last day, recovery, and the transformative power of losing someone you love. Please note, Last Day contains strong language, mature themes, and may not be appropriate for all listeners. DOPEY PODCAST - The Dark Come...
Jan 22, 2020•57 min
A few years ago, Laurie McTeague noticed her teenage son, Ian, was uncharacteristically depressed. So she went snooping around on his phone and discovered that he’d been widely experimenting with nearly every drug under the sun. What followed was years of relentless searching for effective adolescent treatment while her son continued to relapse again and again. As a parent, how do you navigate this? Please note, Last Day contains strong language, mature themes, and may not be appropriate for all...
Jan 15, 2020•50 min
This season started with the question: How did we get here? How did Stefano and Harris overdose and die in their early 30s? How did our country lose 400,000 lives to opioids since 1999? In the new year, we turn our attention to other last day stories, and other kinds of last day stories. Brittany and Ahren are high school sweethearts who built a life and a family together, when “the blues” came into the picture. Brittany and Ahren talk about Ahren’s addiction, his last days of using, one ugly ni...
Jan 08, 2020•48 min
We asked. You answered. This week, we hear from Last Day listeners about why the holidays are so hard, different, stressful, all of the adjectives. Stephanie chats with Dr. Neha Kumar, a clinical psychologist, about tips to get through the season and ways we can honor our loved ones who are no longer with us. Drug and alcohol counselor Wilma Hawkinson discusses being newly sober during the holidays and the importance of making new memories; Miss Ian Callaghan, Executive Director of San Francisco...
Dec 18, 2019•45 min
This week, Stephanie sits down with the parents—Stefano’s and her own—to dig into where everyone is with their grief, understanding, and personal responsibility around what happened to their sons. Hint, hint: The moms and dads are in very different places. Please note, Last Day contains strong language, mature themes, and may not be suitable for all listeners. Broken Justice podcast Casper.com/LASTDAY (promo code LASTDAY) SimpliSafe.com/LASTDAY TalkSpace.com (promo code LASTDAY) Policygenuis.com...
Dec 11, 2019•35 min
This week, we circle back to where this story began — on the ground, in Boston, with Jess. Joined by new voices (Gary Mendell, Michael Botticelli, Mayor Marty Walsh) and familiar ones (Stefano’s wife, Paige), Jess delves into what it’s been like to produce a show that’s so deeply personal. By the end of the episode, she’s finally able to answer the question that drove her to create the show in the first place: What could I have done differently? Please note, Last Day contains strong language, ma...
Dec 04, 2019•47 min
This week, Stephanie sits down with Garth Mullins, who hosts an award-winning podcast in Canada called Crackdown, which is also about drugs. The difference? Garth is coming at it from the perspective of a drug user. The plan was to talk about international solutions and Garth's recent reporting in Portugal (which they do discuss) but they also compare notes as two podcasters making shows based on personal trauma. And in the process, Stephanie has a huge revelation. The holidays are approaching, ...
Nov 20, 2019•47 min
This week, we talk about the variety of ways that children are affected by the opioid crisis. Also, Stephanie has a breakdown because it’s hard to accept the things you cannot change. In this episode, she sits down with Peter who describes the process of adopting three kids born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome; The Seattle Times ’ Claudia Rowe who gives an overview of how this epidemic is impacting kids in the foster care system; and Kendra Cram and Ryan McGraw from Minford Elementary in Ohio,...
Nov 13, 2019•51 min
While “opioids” has become a political buzzword, national policy on opioids is virtually nonexistent. Our system is nowhere near able to meet the needs of those who desperately need help. So what’s it going to take to move the needle, so to speak? Stephanie sits down with Congressman Patrick Kennedy to talk about legislation and funding (see: lack of funding) for mental health and addiction; Sarah Gad about her dramatic journey from Cook County jail inmate to congressional candidate; and Andy Sl...
Nov 06, 2019•43 min
We’ve tried arresting people. We’ve tried shuffling them from place to place. We’ve tried shaming them into sobriety. What would happen if, instead, we met people where they’re at? Stephanie talks to Ithaca’s Mayor Svante Myrick and Bronx harm-reductionist Hiawatha Collins about the inequities of our justice system and how we can do better, including treating all people with dignity and respect, going into communities and reducing potential risk, and creating medically-staffed safe spaces for dr...
Oct 30, 2019•46 min
Today marks the 2-year anniversary of Stefano’s death, and his family is still asking: “How did this happen?” For most families dealing with addiction, treatment can feel like a Rubik’s cube. What works? What doesn’t? Are there Yelp reviews? On this episode, Stephanie talks to David Sheff, New York Times bestselling author of Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction , about the morass of confusion that is the rehab industry and Dr. Nzinga A. Harrison about the importance--an...
Oct 23, 2019•46 min
In this episode, Dr. Nzinga A. Harrison walks us through detox. Then, Stephanie is joined by Dr. Robert Meyers, the architect of Community Reinforcement Approach and Family Training (CRAFT), to discuss the “put your own oxygen mask on first” approach to interventions. Continue the conversation on your phone at https://flick.group/lastday . Last Day contains strong language, mature themes, and may not be appropriate for all listeners. Transcriptions available shortly after air date at https://www...
Oct 16, 2019•33 min
Most of us have seen an opioid overdose depicted on TV or in movies, but what happens in real life? On this episode, Stephanie talks to Karen Host, Senior Director at Cataldo Ambulance, and Dr. Jay, an emergency room doctor, about the anatomy of an overdose, what it’s like to save a life, the immediate aftermath, and the complexity of prescribing opioids for pain in the midst of an opioid crisis. Continue the conversation on your phone at https://flick.group/lastday . Last Day contains strong la...
Oct 09, 2019•39 min
On this episode, Stefano Cordova Jr.’s family tries to make sense of Stefano’s overdose death and how they all got here. Then, Dr. Sam Snodgrass, a behavioral pharmacologist with a doctorate in biopsychology, explains how his own addiction to opioids is a disease and why understanding that is key to helping people with substance use disorders. Continue the conversation on your phone at https://flick.group/lastday . Last Day contains strong language, mature themes, and may not be appropriate for ...
Oct 02, 2019•43 min
On this episode, we retrace the steps of Stefano Cordova, Jr. on his last day of life. Stefano died of a fentanyl overdose on October 23, 2017 in Allston, MA. This is where our story begins. Continue the conversation on your phone at https://flick.group/lastday . Last Day contains strong language, mature themes, and may not be appropriate for all listeners. Transcriptions available shortly after air date at https://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/last-day/ . Last Day is presented by www.newchapter.co...
Sep 25, 2019•31 min
Meet Stephanie Wittels Wachs, host of Last Day, and sister of the late Harris Wittels, comedian-writer-producer-actor, who died in 2015 of a heroin overdose. Harris’ close friends, Sarah Silverman and Aziz Ansari, also join Stephanie as she introduces the concept of the show and why it’s critical that it exists. Continue the conversation on your phone at https://flick.group/lastday . Last Day contains strong language, mature themes, and may not be appropriate for all listeners. Transcriptions av...
Sep 25, 2019•40 min
Let’s talk about what’s killing us, the stuff that’s hard to comprehend and getting worse every day. Lemonada co-founder and author Stephanie Wittels Wachs confronts massive epidemics with humanity, wit, and a quest for progress. Starting with overdose deaths and the opioid crisis, we zoom in on a person’s last day of life, exploring how they got there and how we, as a society, have gotten here. The first two episodes of Last Day will be released together on September 25, 2019. Join our host, pr...
Sep 09, 2019•5 min
Let’s talk about what’s killing us, the stuff that’s hard to comprehend and getting worse every day. Lemonada co-founder and author Stephanie Wittels Wachs confronts massive epidemics with humanity, wit, and a quest for progress. Zooming-in on a person’s last day of life, we explore how they got there and how we, as a society, have gotten here. Join the Lemonada/Last Day community on the Flick Chat App to continue the conversation. Episodes 1 and 2 will be released on September 25, 2019. See omn...
Jun 17, 2019•4 min
