117: Vanessa Hurr: Walking Through Grief & Loss After Losing a Brother to an Overdose During a Global Pandemic - A Tribute for International Overdose Awareness Day

Vanessa Hurr is an award-winning editorial portrait Photographer and resident Corporate Development guru for Lionrock Recovery. Her journey from entrepreneur to Lionrock teammate began in March of 2020 when a world-wide pandemic put a quick halt to her life as a photographer in the live events industry. Within weeks of coming onboard the Lionrock team to assist with an unprecedented influx of Americans seeking substance treatment, she lost her big brother, Matt, to an overdose in April of 2020. Even with an age difference of 5 years, Vanessa and her brother had an especially close relationship that was built on a foundation of friendship and a shared love for music. The grief and sense of loss surrounding his death was compounded with extreme isolation due to Covid. The result was a calling to action and a dedication to the task of supporting people who are seeking treatment and freedom from substance abuse. Vanessa divides her time between Madison and Chicago with her husband and 2 little boys. Her life as a Photographer, in addition to being a dedicated part of the Lionrock team, is evolving as she adds the title of Cookbook Author. Vanessa will be traveling the US throughout 2021-2022 with a private chef to support and document a person's journey through recovery via food! Vanessa’s goal is to provide insight into basic cooking skills and also share individualized nutritional information to people who might not otherwise have access to essential dietary knowledge that supports their recovery. She wants to set people up for success, no matter what stage of recovery they're in, so that they can feel empowered when preparing meals for themself and/or their loved ones. Episode Resources The Beacon Website | https://thebeaconhelps.org/ Connect with Vanessa Hurr Instagram | @vanessahurr Connect The Courage to Change Podcast Website | lionrock.life/couragetochangepodcast Podcast Instagram | @couragetochange_podcast Podcast Facebook | @thecouragetochangepodcast Podcast Email | podcast@lionrock.life YouTube | The Courage to Change Playlist Lionrock Resources Coffee & Coffee Alternatives | lionrock.life/shop-products Support Group Meeting Schedule | lionrock.life/meetings