After the heartbreaking loss of her teenage son to an opioid overdose, Charleston nurse Denise Hanson has transformed her grief into a mission to educate others and support recovery efforts in West Virginia. Greg Hanson, once an active and athletic teen, developed an opioid addiction following a serious four-wheeler accident that required extensive surgery and pain management.
Over the course of 12 years, Greg went through several rounds of rehabilitation, ultimately succumbing to a fatal overdose in 2016. Denise, who experienced post-traumatic stress from her son’s struggle, channeled her pain into action by immersing herself in addiction education and support initiatives.
Her journey led her to the work of Dr. Joe Nounou, an anesthesiologist developing an alternative overdose treatment called ResPen. Unlike Narcan, which can trigger withdrawal symptoms and isn’t always effective against fentanyl, ResPen aims to restore breathing without causing immediate withdrawal—potentially offering a safer, more effective intervention. Denise sees ResPen as a promising development in the fight against overdose deaths. She remains committed to turning West Virginia from one of the hardest-hit states into a leader in recovery.
