Pondoff's Anonymous Season 3 Episode 29: "Forever Day" with Tiffany FosterPondoff's Anonymous Season 3 Episode 29: "Forever Day" with Tiffany Foster
Pondoff's Anonymous
Tiffany Foster joins Pondoff’s Anonymous on what would have been her son Zack’s 18th birthday, sharing how she marks his "Forever Day" and why she speaks openly about fentanyl and grief. The conversation weaves humour with hard truths about advocacy, job loss and finding meaning after profound loss.
1:34:51•24 Aug 2026
“Forever Day” with Tiffany Foster: Grief, Fentanyl and Finding a New Path
Episode Overview
- Renaming a child’s death anniversary as a "Forever Day" can help some parents frame remembrance in a way that feels gentler and more continuous.
- Assuming a child will never encounter drugs is described as a dangerous belief; open, specific conversations about substances and fentanyl are urged.
- Speaking directly with middle school students and inviting their hard questions can create genuine connection and stronger prevention messages.
- Job loss after long service is portrayed as both deeply painful and an unexpected relief, opening space to reassess mental health and future direction.
- Sharing a child’s story publicly is presented as a way that grief can contribute to saving other lives, even while the pain remains.
“How you think your kid will never get access to it is the most dangerous lie.”
What emotional and inspiring tales of recovery are out there? This conversation on Pondoff’s Anonymous centres on returning guest Tiffany Foster, who joins the crew on what would have been her son Zack’s 18th birthday—just days before the five-year mark of his passing. She shares why she now calls that anniversary his “Forever Day” and how keeping Zack’s memory loud and visible has become part of both her grief and her mission.
You’ll hear plenty of humour mixed with heartbreak as Tiffany, Chris, Zoë and Kurt move between horror films, smut shops in Chicago, and the awkwardness of ageing, while still landing firmly on addiction, loss and mental health.
Tiffany talks about her role as vice president of Addiction Is Real and the work she does speaking to middle school students, stressing that “how you think your kid will never get access to it is the most dangerous lie.” Her talks encourage honest conversations about fentanyl and other substances with young people and their caregivers. The episode also touches on Tiffany’s recent job loss after 13 years in healthcare, which she describes as both humiliating and strangely freeing.
She owns her part in the situation, but points out how rigid corporate rules collide with real-life crises—like her dad’s heart attack and ongoing grief for Zack. The hosts relate with their own stories of leaving long-time careers, framing these painful changes as unexpected turning points. Running through it all is Tiffany’s belief in signs, in Zack still “saving lives” through her advocacy, and in the need to talk openly about death, addiction and the messy aftermath.
It’s a raw, funny and honest chat that’ll leave you thinking about how you mark anniversaries, how you talk to kids about drugs, and what “better” might look like after the worst has already happened. If you’re juggling grief, recovery, or parenting in an age of fentanyl, could Tiffany’s "Forever Day" perspective be the shift you need?
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