I started Emily’s Hope after losing my 21-year-old daughter, Emily, to fentanyl poisoning in 2018. She thought she was using heroin, but it had a deadly dose of fentanyl. We were just three days away from getting her into treatment. Losing her shattered me, but I knew I had to do something to make sure other families didn’t have to experience this kind of heartbreak.
Through Emily’s Hope, I’ve turned that loss into purpose. We work to remove the stigma of substance use disorder, prevent overdoses, and help people get the treatment they need to recover. So far, we’ve awarded more than 260 treatment scholarships, distributed thousands of free naloxone kits across South Dakota, and developed a K–12 substance use prevention curriculum that’s now being used in multiple states and even another country. Every time I see a student learning how their brain works or hear about a life saved with naloxone, I know Emily’s story is still making a difference.
Emily was kind, creative, and full of promise. Sharing her story publicly is never easy, but it gives meaning to something senseless. The people I meet through this work—the parents who thank me, the teachers who use our lessons, the survivors who get a second chance—keep me going.
To me, being American means showing up for one another. It’s about compassion, courage, and community. We all have the power to make a difference, and when we lift each other up, we strengthen the heart of our country. That’s what Emily’s Hope is all about: turning pain into purpose and love into action.
Through Emily’s Hope, I’ve turned that loss into purpose. We work to remove the stigma of substance use disorder, prevent overdoses, and help people get the treatment they need to recover. So far, we’ve awarded more than 260 treatment scholarships, distributed thousands of free naloxone kits across South Dakota, and developed a K–12 substance use prevention curriculum that’s now being used in multiple states and even another country. Every time I see a student learning how their brain works or hear about a life saved with naloxone, I know Emily’s story is still making a difference.
Emily was kind, creative, and full of promise. Sharing her story publicly is never easy, but it gives meaning to something senseless. The people I meet through this work—the parents who thank me, the teachers who use our lessons, the survivors who get a second chance—keep me going.
To me, being American means showing up for one another. It’s about compassion, courage, and community. We all have the power to make a difference, and when we lift each other up, we strengthen the heart of our country. That’s what Emily’s Hope is all about: turning pain into purpose and love into action.