I Lost My Father to Cancer—Then Almost Lost Myself to Heroin

Primary Purpose with Pej · Sep 10, 2026 · 55m

This week on Primary Purpose with Pej, Pej sits down with Sam Funger about his years-long battle with heroin addiction, severe mental health struggles, and finding lasting sobriety. Sam opens up about feeling suicidal at just 12 years old, undergoing electroconvulsive therapy, living in his mom’s basement with a needle in his arm, and stealing medication from his dying father after his cancer diagnosis drove Sam deeper into addiction. After years of searching for answers that doctors couldn’t provide, Sam ultimately overcame life’s darkest obstacles and rebuilt his life in recovery. This is…