Her Grief Turned Into Poetry After Losing Her Son

Katie Rizzo holds two master’s degrees in science from Yale and the University of Colorado School of Medicine and has spent more than 15 years teaching high school AP Biology and Anatomy.She never thought of herself as a writer. That changed on September 17, 2024, when she lost her firstborn son to substance use disorder.Before her son died, she had never written poetry, but suddenly she had no other language. She began writing as a way to reach him, to somehow connect across that invisible divide.She is still early in this journey, not even two years in, but she is walking it with remarkable honesty and courage.She is sharing her story for a reason. She knows there are other parents living this same reality, grieving a child lost to something the world often stigmatizes and not always feeling there is space to mourn openly. She wants them to know they are not alone.In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, she shares her son’s story, what she wants others to understand about loving someone struggling with addiction, and how she is finding healing by telling the truth instead of hiding it.Read more of Katie's writing on her website here. Related episodes:Why 72,000 Deaths a Year Is Not a Success StoryCookies, Grief, and Hope: A Mother’s Recipe for Healing After Fentanyl LossA Brain Scientist’s Warning Every Parent Should HearSend us Fan MailBehind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.They were...daughterssonsmothersfathersfriendswiveshusbandscousinsboyfriendsgirlfriends.They were More Than Just A Number. Support the showConnect with AngelaFollow Grieving Out LoudFollow Emily's HopeRead Angela’s BlogSubscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily’s Hope UpdatesSuggest a GuestFor more episodes and information, just go to our website, emilyshope.charityWishing you faith, hope and courage!Podcast producers:Casey Wonnenberg King & Kayli Fitz