No…I don’t mean that I try to predict things that have already happened. Rather, I’m talking about predicting what may have happened had I done things differently in life. Since the death of my youngest son, Mark, in May of 2004, I have asked myself so many questions over and over again. What if I had talked to Mark more about the dangers of drugs?…or spent more time learning about what kids were doing at the time? If I hadn’t missed the signs of an addiction problem, would Mark still be alive?….and on and on.
Phil Bauer
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I have relived that day in my mind so many times, and while I really can’t tell you exactly what the doctor said, the message was clear – my beautiful son was gone. Apparently, Jason had been abusing prescription drugs and had overdosed.
Linda Surks
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I wish we knew about interventions back then. I don’t know if it would have worked for Ryan, but it would have been one more thing we could have tried, one more chance to save him. The real insidiousness of addiction is that the sufferer’s ability to make rational decisions regarding what’s in his or her best interest is severely impaired.
Sandy Prisak
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Efrain was preparing to play football at the community college he was attending, but didn’t want to play his normal position of lineman. He wanted a more prestigious position of linebacker. Efrain began using steroids, under the impression that it would make him bigger, stronger, faster, and earn him the title and recognition he so much desired. Efrain, unaware of the serious side–affects of steroids, began to experience severe paranoia and deep depression, but did the right thing and turned to his parents, mom and dad, for help.
Frank and Brenda Marrero
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Ryan was born on December 28, 1982 and died on February 12, 2001 from an overdose of prescription drugs he had purchased on the Internet. He was only 18 when he died.
Francine Haight
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Ian started using tobacco and marijuana in the eighth grade. He was in denial about the problem, minimizing it as so many young people do. I was unaware that he was using drugs, thinking the changes were just adolescent behavior. Then I attended a drug awareness program, which opened my eyes to what was really happening in our home.
Ginger Katz
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This is a story about a boy...in many ways just your typical high school boy. Growing up David was warmly affectionate, respectful but mischievous, fun seeking, daring, always willing to take a risk. He made friends easily, joined the Cub Scouts, was a conscientious student. Athletically talented, David enjoyed all manner of sports. He particularly excelled in baseball, played on a Little League champion team that went undefeated when he was 9 years old, and carried his love of and talent for the game on through to high school. A popular young man, David displayed a humility and compassion for others that attracted friends from all circles.
Kim and Marissa
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Dave was bright -- extremely bright. We had lived in Holland his first year in school and he was judged to be gifted by the American School in The Hague. He was articulate and a strong debater, and resisted all our attempts to reason with him. I will always regret not having been strong enough to insist that he get help for his substance abuse problem. His mother and I had tried on many occasions but Dave protested vehemently and dug in his heels. We just never fathomed that his need for a buzz would lead him to experiment with heroin.
David R. Pease
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Irma was a 14 year old girl from Belmont , California who took an Ecstasy pill on April 23, 2004. She became sick immediately---vomiting and writhing in pain---yet her friends did not seek medical help for her. Instead, they gave her marijuana, thinking it would relax her and possibly help her because they had heard it had medicinal qualities. Irma suffered for hours and when she was finally taken to the hospital the next morning, she was in terrible shape. Five days later she was taken off life support and died. After her death, several of her organs were donated to five other people.
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It was the evening of November 14, 1999. Two police officers and my sister came to my door in suburban Chicago to deliver the horrific news: my 23-year-old daughter Kelley was dead.
Kate Patton
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Taylor Hooton was a star pitcher on his high school team, a handsome teenager who had everything going for him. Until steroids caught up with him and he took his own life. It took a while for his parents to connect Taylor's recent weight and muscle increases with his uncharacteristic mood swings and violent, angry behavior. Like most parents, they didn't know that these and other symptoms, like the acne he had developed on his back, were signs of steroids use. Taylor had always been a great son, a terrific athlete and had his act together. Taylor just wanted to make the varsity baseball team, and steroids had been recommended to him as a way to get bigger faster.
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