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Reflecting on the indescribable pain and questions from losing a loved one to a drug overdose

WBUR | By Martha Bebinger
Published August 6, 2025 at 11:49 AM EDT
The author's nephew as a child, leaping off of a jetski into the water. (Courtesy Martha Bebinger)
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The author's nephew as a child, leaping off of a jetski into the water. (Courtesy Martha Bebinger)

WBUR’s Martha Bebinger lost her nephew, Austen Smith, to a drug overdose last year. In this essay, she describes the pain and questions that linger.

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Caleb Green and André Peralta composed and performed the music for this segment. Green also mixed it for broadcast.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2025 WBUR

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Martha Bebinger