Her son grew up in Illinois, in what looked like a normal family from the outside. As a teenager he experimented with Marijuana / pot, Alcohol and Beer, then drifted into “harder drugs”. At first it was pain meds (prescription painkillers) after injuries, then using them just to feel good.
He struggled with mental health too. Doctors gave him a Bipolar diagnosis and started him on Bipolar medication, Anxiety medication and Sleeping medication. On paper he was in psychiatric medication management and counseling / therapy, but inside he still felt empty, restless and different.
Like so many people, he slipped from pills into Heroin. It was cheaper, stronger and easier to find. His mom watched him change from a sweet kid into someone she barely recognized—lying, nodding out, getting sick without the drug. She knew addiction was deadly, but she didn’t yet know how close they were to losing him.
For more information on intervention – Don’t wait before its too late.
Fighting for His Life: Methadone, Suboxone and Detox
This family tried again and again to save their son. He went into a detox center in Rockford (Illinois), where he started detox center / detoxification and was sent to a detox / rehab facility in Indiana (unnamed). There he tried Methadone maintenance treatment, hoping it would help him step down from Heroin without being so sick.
For a while it seemed to help, but he still struggled with cravings. Later he moved to Suboxone treatment and daily dosing with drug testing. Every morning he had to show up, take his dose and submit a sample. There were also trips to A Better Today (addiction treatment center) and other rehab (detox or rehab) programs.
Between these attempts at recovery were hospital stays and crisis moments. He ended up in Hospitalization / ER care when he overdosed or hurt himself. He spent time in a mental institution / mental health ward when his mood and thoughts were out of control. There were rounds of physical therapy after accidents and injuries, and even parole supervision after legal trouble. The police department knew his name. His mom got calls from the school (child’s school) when his own child was struggling and missing him.
Through all of this, his mother never stopped fighting for him. She learned about Narcan (naloxone) and prayed someone nearby would have it if he overdosed. She talked to doctors, counselors and staff, doing everything she could to keep him alive long enough to truly choose recovery.
The Day Everything Changed
Then came the day that every parent of an addict fears. He was using again. There was Heroin, other harder drugs, and maybe Alcohol or Beer in the mix. This time, his body simply couldn’t take it.
He overdosed. The ambulance rushed him to the hospital (ER), but it was too late. Narcan either wasn’t used in time or couldn’t undo the damage. Her son died from a fatal overdose.
Afterward, the coroner’s office ran drug testing by coroner / toxicology. The report listed the substances in his blood—Heroin, other drugs, medications, and whatever else he had taken that day. Those cold lines on a printed page were the final proof of what addiction had done to her son.
The mother had to work with the police department, the coroner, and the people from the city/county we live in (unnamed) to handle details no parent ever wants to face. She saw how addiction doesn’t just affect one person; it ripples through families, schools, workplaces, and entire communities.
Watch the Video: A Mother’s Message to All Addicts
This written story only touches the surface of her pain and courage.
In the video, you’ll hear this mom share directly from her heart. She talks about denial, fear, hope, treatment, relapse and finally loss. Most of all, she speaks to anyone still using drugs today—and to the families who love them. Her voice shakes, but her message is strong: don’t wait until it’s too late.
The Moral: Don’t Wait to Ask for Help
This heroin overdose story from a mom is not just about death. It is also about love, warning and second chances for others. Her message is simple and powerful:
If you are using Heroin, abusing pain meds, taking Methadone or Suboxone but still using on top, or mixing drugs with Alcohol, please listen. Addiction does not care if you are smart, funny, loved or full of potential. It can take your life in one night.
If you’re a parent, spouse, friend or child of someone in addiction, you are not alone either. Reach out to a detox center, rehab, mental health provider, or support group. Talk to your doctor. Learn about Narcan. Keep speaking up, even when you feel tired and afraid.
This mother shared the worst day of her life so that someone else might avoid it. Let a mother’s message to all addicts stay with you: you are loved, your life matters, and there is still time to choose help before addiction takes everything.
