VIDEO – GRIEF CAN SAVE OTHERS –
Aug. 27, 2026 – Chris Stepp’s daughter, Jessica, was found dead in a motel room in Columbia on April 12, 2020 — Easter Sunday. She died from an accidental fentanyl overdose.
Stepp said Jessica struggled with substance use for much of her life and experienced significant trauma. Someone was with her when she died, he said. “My only wish is that the person would have had naloxone to save her life,” Stepp said.
Naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose. At that first walk, Stepp met Mark Burrows, executive director of Challenges Inc. Burrows asked whether he could distribute naloxone at the event.
Stepp began volunteering with Burrows and later joined Challenges Inc. as a program manager, a position he has held for six years. Challenges Inc. partnered with the walk after its first year to help it grow.
Challenges Inc. is a harm reduction organization that provides services to people who use drugs. Stepp said he has distributed thousands of naloxone kits across the Upstate.
