After my son Shelby died of a fentanyl/heroin overdose, I immersed myself in helping spread awareness about the opioid epidemic. I joined grief support groups on Facebook, collaborated with friends and family to create a resource website (www.doitforshelby.com) and connected with as many people as I possibly could to help them with their grief and help break the stigma of addiction.
After filming a public service announcement with the Shelby County Health Department for the TN Redline, I joined the Shelby County Opioid Response Task Force and became the co-chair for the Prevention and Education workgroup. I also facilitate a grief support group called GRASP: Grief Recovery After a Substance Passing. It’s a safe space for those grieving the loss of loved ones to substance use.
Shelby’s death has had a profound impact on my family and me. My daughter, Aurora, is very aware of how drugs can negatively affect someone’s life and ultimately end a life. My son, Josh, is terrified he may lose another family member. They both agree that losing Shelby to a drug overdose has sealed the deal of NOT experimenting with drugs.
#Awareness, #Drugs, #DrugOverdose, #Fentanyl, #Tennessee, #OpioidCrisis, #OpioidEpidemic, #OpioidCrisisFriday, #Tragedy, #UnitedStates
Vintage Dava 