Hard Knox Talks: Your Addiction Podcast

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At 36, teacher Will Gordon was sent home from the hospital to die. Two weeks left to live, yellow with jaundice, in end-stage liver failure from years of hiding vodka — Gatorade bottles, cereal boxes, golf bags — and bile puking every morning.
Then he talked his way onto the transplant list.
Will shares the DUI at 0.21, the 19 empty bottles under the bed, 125 days sober then relapse on Pink Whitney, the student who said he looked like a Simpsons character, dialysis, the liver transplant with Hepatitis C, septic shock with a 4% survival chance, ileostomy bag for 6 months, kidney transplant in March 2024, and how he is now almost 4 years sober working as a substance use disorder counselor and hosting The Willpower Podcast.
If you're struggling or loving someone who is, this one proves it doesn't have to get this bad to ask for help. You are not alone.
Subscribe to Hard Knox Talks for real addiction recovery stories and practical harm reduction every week.
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Chris Martell’s son, Yvander, was just 22 months old when he drowned in foster care in Saskatchewan. His death began a years-long fight for answers that took Chris through courtrooms, walks for justice, depression, and homelessness.
Chris shares why he chose to forgive the foster mother, how he stayed sober through unimaginable grief, and how ceremony and sharing circles helped him find a way forward. Today, he’s raising his children and working to help others—with his son’s memory at the heart of it all.
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David Fineday was arrested as police moved in to clear a Saskatoon encampment where roughly 120 people had been living. He says police told him he couldn't be released until the encampment was gone.

On October 8, 2026, authorities cleared the encampment near 20th Street and Avenue K, citing fire hazards, violence, and other public safety concerns.

But for the people living there, the clearing raised another question: where were they supposed to go?

David Fineday, a longtime housing advocate and Sixties Scoop survivor, was one of the encampment's residents and community leaders. He describes how a handful of tents grew into a community, the outreach efforts that supported residents, the problems that existed within the camp, and what happened when police arrived.

Joining us is Michelle MacDonald, a lawyer with CLASSIC Law in Saskatoon, to examine the legal questions surrounding the clearing, including a Charter challenge involving the city's bylaws and the constitutional rights of people experiencing homelessness.
Learn more about Crocus Co-op
https://crocuscooperative.org/

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Doctors told Nathan Cheatwood he needed a new liver or he could have only months to live. Even before reaching that point, he knew alcohol was destroying his health — but knowing wasn't enough to make him stop drinking.
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He robbed more than 20 banks across America while running from the FBI. But after his arrest, Jonathan would face something even more devastating: nine years in prison isolation.
Growing up surrounded by childhood trauma, abuse, addiction, and organized crime, Jonathan's life spiralled into drug trafficking, bank robberies, and a nationwide FBI manhunt. His substance use escalated into opioid addiction, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, paranoia, and hallucinations.
After being sentenced to federal prison, Jonathan spent 16 years incarcerated, including nine years in solitary confinement. He shares how prison violence and prolonged isolation affected his mental health, and how trauma therapy, addiction treatment, and compassionate support helped him begin rebuilding his life.
But recovery wasn't a straight line. Following his release, Jonathan experienced relapse, relationship struggles, and the challenges of rebuilding a life after incarceration.
This is a powerful conversation about addiction recovery, mental health, the criminal justice system, relapse prevention, accountability, and second chances.
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Parenting in the Storm 
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