HOPESTREAM: support for moms who have kids w/ substance issues

A Conversation with Brenda Zane

What do you do when the child you love is struggling with substance use or mental health challenges — and you feel completely lost on how to help?

It’s one of the most heartbreaking and isolating experiences a parent can face — and yet, so many moms are quietly living this reality every day.

Hi everyone, and welcome back to Inside the Wellspace. I’m your host, Cathy O’Brien, and today’s conversation is one that speaks straight to the heart of family, resilience, and hope.

My guest is Brenda Zane — a highly respected family advocate, TEDx speaker, Mayo Clinic Certified Health Coach, and host of the Hopestream Podcast. After a 20-year career leading strategy for brands like Nike, PepsiCo, and Microsoft, Brenda made a remarkable shift at age 50 — one fueled by love, loss, and purpose. When her oldest son nearly lost his life to multiple fentanyl overdoses, Brenda turned her pain into action, founding Hopestream Community, a global nonprofit that supports parents navigating their child’s substance use and mental health challenges.

Today, she’s helping moms and families find safety, connection, and evidence-based tools to support healing — both for their children and themselves.

We’re diving into the incredible work Brenda’s doing through Hopestream, what it really feels like for a mom living in this kind of fear and uncertainty, and how community can truly be the lifeline that brings families back to hope.

So, take a deep breath, settle in — this is an episode about courage, compassion, and the quiet power of showing up when it matters most.

Let’s get into it.