About
Song for Charlie is a national family-run nonprofit charity dedicated to raising awareness about ‘fentapills’ — fake pills made of fentanyl.
We partner with experts, educators, parents and other influencers to reach the most vulnerable group: young people between the ages 13-24.
Our program highlights the emerging dangers of self-medication and casual drug use in the fentanyl era and encourages healthier strategies for coping with stress.
Our
Story
After the sudden loss of their son Charlie, Ed and Mary Ternan created Song for Charlie with one goal: to bring awareness to counterfeit prescription pills being sold online targeting young people. With your help, we can spread the word and save lives.
Our
Mission
Growing up in our fast-paced world is stressful. Song for Charlie is a national family-run, nonprofit charity that encourages young people to choose healthy coping strategies over self-medication. We empower students to learn and share knowledge by providing research tools and promoting peer-to-peer learning programs.
Our
Vision
We envision a future in which the casual use of prescription pills is considered socially unacceptable, and in which sharing random pills is uncool. We endeavor to change the ‘quick fix’ mindset of self-medication in favor of more organic and sustainable strategies for managing stress and anxiety. To accomplish these goals, we must break through the noise and communicate with young people on their terms – go where they are; speak their language; and get them talking.
Our
Founders
Charlie’s parents are dedicated to informing young adults, parents and educators about counterfeit pills like the one that killed their son in May 2020. Upon Charlie’s death, Ed and Mary were shocked to find that the fake fentapill problem was well known among medical and law enforcement authorities, but not by the most vulnerable group – young people between the ages of 13-24.
The Ternans believe the best way to address the problem is to warn people of the prevalence of fake pills and offer healthier alternatives for managing stress. They are determined to cut through the misinformation that exists about the fentanyl epidemic and provide fact-based resources directly to young people in plain language.
Our
Team
Ed Ternan
President
Ed Ternan
President
Ed Ternan’s professional background includes marketing communications, product development and project management. A pragmatic “problem solver,” he has extensive experience building teams and managing strategic partnerships. Since Charlie’s death, he has dedicated himself to informing young people about new risks of self-medication and recreational drug use in the age of synthetic drugs like fentanyl.
Mary Ternan
Vice President
Mary Ternan
Vice President
Mary Ternan is a Gerontologist who retired from her position at her local Catholic Parish in September 2021, after 30 years of service.
Mary handles Donor Relations, Administration in addition to helping our partners craft our message to parents and kids.
Kaila Sassano
Chief Development Officer
Kaila Sassano
Chief Development Officer
Kaila Sassano brings over 15 years of for-profit and nonprofit leadership and fundraising experience to the SFC team. She has a special passion for leveraging corporate partnerships to create meaningful impact. She joins SFC as our Chief Development Officer and is responsible for raising revenue through the creation of meaningful relations while creating strategic partnerships to ensure SFC can continue to empower families for years to come.
Denise Mariano
Vice President, Partnerships
Denise Mariano
Vice President, Partnerships
Denise Mariano joins the SFC team with over 13 years of non-profit leadership in the prevention, substance use disorder and recovery space. Denise has been a strong voice for families and a thought leader in the national conversation since 2011. She was selected and honored at the White House as an ‘Advocate for Action’ where she was recognized as one of the leaders across the country making a difference.
Jennifer Epstein
Director of Outreach & Education
Jennifer Epstein
Director of Outreach & Education
Jennifer Epstein joined Song for Charlie after losing her dear 18-year old son Cal to a fake pill in December 2020. Jennifer worked with Beaverton School District to develop their Fake & Fatal campaign, the first known fake pill awareness campaign by a school district in the country. Jennifer is now SFC’s Director of Outreach and Education, and is responsible for developing resources to help spread awareness and reaching out to organizations who work with kids. Jennifer brings with her 20 years of both Fortune 100 and start-up operations experience, and over 12 years of working with schools and youth.
Krista Feierabend
Creative Director
Krista Feierabend
Creative Director
Krista’s professional background includes 18 years of expertise in graphic design, web design and user experience/product design. Krista joined SFC as a contractor in 2020 to design our website. From there she became our Social Media Manager and then Director of Digital Content and Strategy. Krista now joins us full-time as our Creative Director. As Creative Director, Krista is responsible for planning, creating, executing and managing all of the social media content across Song for Charlie’s 8 platforms, maintaining our website as well as creating all of our marketing materials.
Laura Didier
Outreach Coordinator
Laura Didier
Outreach Coordinator
After tragically losing her 17 year old son Zach to a counterfeit pill in December of 2020, Laura began her partnership with Song For Charlie. Utilizing Song For Charlie materials, she gives counterfeit pill and fentanyl awareness presentations to students, parents, and community organizations. She has participated in the creation of multiple public awareness campaigns in Northern California. Laura also maintains correspondence with the bereaved family members who contact Song For Charlie, providing them with compassion and resources.
Our
Board of
Directors
Alexis Anvekar
M.D., ABIHM
Alexis Anvekar
M.D., ABIHM
Alexis Anvekar is Charlie’s family doctor and a strong proponent of holistic health. She has been practicing since 2001 and was amongst the first in California to start a personalized type of healthcare service now known as concierge medicine. Awards include Top Docs of San Gabriel Valley, Most Compassionate Doctor Award (given to top 3% nationwide physicians) and Patient’s Choice Award (given to top 6% nationwide physicians). Dr. Anvekar advises Song for Charlie about promoting healthy coping skills and alternatives to prescription medications for stress management.
Garth Graham
MD, MPH, FACC
Garth Graham
MD, MPH, FACC
Garth Graham MD, MPH, FACC is Director and Global Head of Healthcare and Public Health at YouTube and Google Health. He is a researcher and public health expert who previously served two US Administrations as US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health. Garth is deeply committed to our cause and we will benefit greatly from his energy and expertise.
Bridget Lattimer
Bridget Lattimer
Bridget Lattimer (Charlie’s girlfriend) is a recent college graduate who helps us craft our message for high school and college students. Bridget has a B.S. in Neurobiology and is committed to our mission of instilling healthier and sustainable habits for coping in young people.
Patricia Marinelli-Casey
PH.D
Patricia Marinelli-Casey
PH.D
Patricia is an undergraduate classmate of Ed and Mary’s from Santa Clara University. She is a widely published and cited clinical researcher specializing in addiction. She has a long affiliation with UCLA Medical School and the Matrix Institute. Patricia helps us frame our questions as we work to define the scope of the fentanyl epidemic and bring useful information to the forefront.
Brennan Mullin
Brennan Mullin
Brennan is Vice President, Devices & Services at Google Inc. He has been with Google in Mountain View, CA since 2014 and prior to that was an executive at Sony Electronics in San Diego. Brennan holds an MBA from Vanderbilt University and lives in Los Gatos, CA with his wife Kristin and daughter Ashley.
Tragically, in November 2020, Brennan’s 18-year-old son Aidan accidentally passed away due to fentanyl poisoning. Brennan and Kristin are committed to educating others on the dangers of counterfeit pills and have been active in supporting organizations like Song for Charlie that help parents, educators and most of all, young people understand the risks, and to ultimately save lives.
Patrick L. Nally
Patrick L. Nally
Patrick Nally (Charlie’s uncle) is the CEO of VeloTera Services, Inc., a leader in the wireless infrastructure industry. Patrick brings his financial experience and knowledge of the nonprofit world to the operation of our family charity. Patrick graduated from Santa Clara University with a B.S. in Economics, a Juris Doctorate and an MBA.
Jack Symes
Jack Symes
Jack Symes (Charlie’s friend) is a singer/songwriter whose musical remembrance of Charlie inspires our name. Jack connects us to the community of young artists who are so important to our messaging strategy – communicate to young people through the popular media they love. Jack helps with our partnership programs and creative productions. You can find Jack’s recording of “Song for Charlie” HERE.
J. Brian Ternan
J. Brian Ternan
Brian Ternan (Charlie’s uncle) is the CEO of Health Net of California and California Health & Wellness. He has over 30 years of leadership experience as a senior health care executive and has been a key leader at some of the state’s largest health care plans. He brings his leadership and management talents to Song for Charlie in the role of Board Chairman. Brian is also a Board Member of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County.
Our
Partners
We could not accomplish our critical mission without our generous partners. Song for Charlie is 100% donor-funded and relies on the generous support of individuals, corporations, foundations, media, and creative agencies working together to ensure we reach even more families and youth across our nation.
We are grateful for the leaders from both the public and private sectors who work with us at the local, state, and national level to accomplish our goals and create meaningful impact.
We have made a significant and measurable impact on what is now recognized as a national crisis, but there is much more work to be done. Together we can empower families across the nation. We hope you will join us on our life-saving mission. To learn more about supporting our work, get in touch using the button below
Charlie’s Story
How
He Lived
Charlie Ternan was a regular guy, just like a lot of the guys you know. He was a good friend, and he had a bunch of them. He was in love. He liked to party with his fraternity brothers. He was a movie buff and had great taste in music. He was smart and a really good student (mostly, when he applied himself). He brought people together. Everyone loved his laugh – loud and contagious.
Like you and your friends, Charlie also had his challenges. He was unsure of his future after college. He was trying to find his place in the world. He wasn’t really sure what he wanted to do for a career. He experienced the normal angst of a young adult in this fast-paced world.
Charlie was familiar with Xanax and sometimes took one when he had time to chill and play video games. He also knew about Percocet, which he had been prescribed after his 2018 back surgery. Self-medicating with prescription pills is socially acceptable these days. After all, they are safe medicines, right?
How
He Died
Charlie was found by his friends, unresponsive in his room, around 8:45pm on a Thursday. They tried their best to revive him, but it was too late. He was 22 years old and three weeks away from his college graduation. Initial reports from first responders suggested that Charlie had died hours before, sometime in the late afternoon. They said the likely cause of death was an accidental overdose of prescription pills.
None of this made sense to Charlie’s family and friends. Charlie didn’t have a substance abuse issue. Besides, how many pills would our 6’2”, 235-pound Charlie have to take to fatally overdose?
As it turns out, it only takes one – if that pill is made of fentanyl. We learned that Charlie had purchased a Percocet online because his back was hurting. But it wasn’t real. It was a “fentapill.” We think Charlie took the pill around 3pm and died within 30 minutes. He never had a chance.
What
You Need
To know
We often assume that someone who dies from drugs is different from us. They must have had big problems or an addiction or mental health issues. But that’s not true in Charlie’s case, nor in thousands of recent cases. In fact, the fastest growing category of “drug overdose” victims is the occasional, recreational user of prescription pills. And that is because the pill supply has been poisoned – flooded with counterfeit fentapills. Ultimately, Charlie’s death was the result of a fraud; a scam. If he had taken an actual Percocet, as he intended, he would be alive today. We wish Charlie had known about fentapills. Maybe he would have been more careful.
Tell your friends. Learn more. spread the word. no random pills! Tell your friends. Learn more. spread the word.
CONTACT US
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Thank you!
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