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Barry Adkins: The Father Who Carried His Son’s Ashes 1,400 Miles to Turn Grief Into Purpose
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In this unforgettable episode of Broken Beautiful Me, Kelly sits down with Barry Adkins, a father who turned unimaginable loss into a mission to save lives. After losing his 18-year-old son Kevin to alcohol poisoning on the day he moved out on his own, Barry faced a defining choice: become a victim or use his pain to help others. He chose the latter.
What followed was an epic 1,400-mile journey on foot, carrying Kevin’s ashes from Arizona to Montana. Along the way, Barry stopped at schools, churches, and treatment centers to share his son’s story, raise awareness about the dangers of binge drinking, and challenge people to make better choices.
Barry’s story is about grief, yes—but also about forgiveness, courage, and the quiet strength it takes to turn pain into purpose.
What You’ll Hear in This Episode:
• The devastating moment Barry learned Kevin had died from alcohol poisoning
• The powerful spiritual message Barry received in the days after Kevin’s death
• How Barry walked 1,400 miles to honor his son—with his ashes in his backpack
• What it was like speaking to over 150,000 students about Kevin’s story
• The impact of his talks, including a student who saved a life after hearing Barry speak
• The 3 core takeaways Barry leaves with every audience:
• The power of decision-making
• How adversity defines your life
• The deep, personal work of forgiveness
• Barry’s reflections on faith, fatherhood, grief, and growth—20 years later
🔗 Connect with Barry Adkins & Kevin’s Last Walk:
🌐 Website: https://kevinslastwalk.com
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kevinslastwalk
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barry-adkins-89384b29/
For Grieving Parents or Anyone Facing Loss:
Barry shares that forgiveness—especially of yourself—is the first step. Whether your path forward is small or epic, what matters is making something very good come from something so painful.
Listen to This If You’re Interested In:
• Real stories about grief and resilience
• Binge drinking awareness and prevention
• Parenting through loss
• Faith after tragedy
• Turning pain into purpose
• Youth education and school speaking
📲 Subscribe & Share:
If Barry’s story moved you, please share this episode. You never know who might need to hear it.
📣 Don’t forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and all major platforms.
Learn more at https://kellybuckley.com
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