“Ten years ago, when my son Joey was 16, he was in a car accident. He was hit head on, by a 7th time drunk driver, who was driving on the wrong side of the road. He shattered his femur. The first ER doctor thought he was going to have to amputate his leg. We got another opinion, and an orthopedic surgeon pieced it back together. He ended up with a metal rod from his hip to his knee. We were thankful he was alive and that he didn’t have to have an amputation. As a result from the surgeries and the pain, he was put on pain killers. This was a young man who never used any drugs prior to that. He was a hockey player, a snowboarder, and just a great, normal kid. The doctors stopped giving him pain killers, but he was addicted, and was too afraid to tell me. He started buying the pills on the street. They’re very expensive, so some drug dealer said to him, you know, heroin is a lot cheaper and better. He swore to God he would never stick a needle in his arm, but he stuck a needle in his arm, and became a full blown heroin addict. It destroyed his life. He became a human being that I didn’t know. I didn’t understand what was going on until one day he stole from my dad. We called the police on him. The police arrested him, emptied his car, opened his backpack, and it was full of needles and spoons. I instantly threw up. It was devastating. We got him into detox. Sadly, our insurance would only allow him to be there for 3 days, so he wasn’t able to do an impatient treatment. He wanted to get help. He knew he was a slave to heroin. We got him more help, but he relapsed multiple times. Even after he became clean, it still affected him. A major side effect of drug addiction is severe depression. He saw therapists, and psychologists, on and off, but money became an issue. I paid sometimes, but then he would cancel his appointments. It was a viscous cycle. The bottom line is, 3 weeks ago, the Sunday night of Labor Day weekend, Joey got tired of fighting the fight. I was told by the police that he googled the easiest way to commit suicide. He went in his garage, shut the doors, rolled down his driver side window, put ear buds in his ears, started his car, and went to sleep. My boyfriend and I found him. We went to go check on him, and I just knew. He wasn’t answering his phone. I’ll never forget this: The morning before we left, I was in the shower, and I thought, he may have gone through with it this time. On the way there, I got this disgusting physical feeling. I just knew it. We got to his apartment, looked in his bedroom, looked in his bathroom, and I just said, the garage. My boyfriend looked in the car window, and said oh my God, he’s laying back in the seat. He beat on the window shouting Joey, Joey! He didn’t move. I dialed 911, and said, I think we just found my son deceased. He was gone. I went outside, sat in the grass, and broke down. The medical examiner told me it’s a very peaceful way to go. They go to sleep and that’s it. I’m thankful for that. That young man suffered physically, mentally, and emotionally for 10 years. That accident changed his entire life. My son was killed in that car accident; It just took 10 years. I have watched him suffer, and all of us that love him suffered with him. He’s free now, and I’m comforted in his freedom, but life will never ever be the same for me, and all of those that love him. There were over 400 people at Joey’s service. He was so loved. His friends have reached out by the hundreds. I think he truly believed that the world would be better without him. I think he felt like he was a burden on us. He was one of the most loving young men you would ever know. His friends have talked about how they could talk to him about anything. He had the most infectious laugh, and I don’t ever want to forget it. Opiate addiction is an epidemic in our country. It’s out of control, and we need to find a way to help people with that. We need much better mental health care. Joey didn’t get consistent care because we didn’t have the money to pay for it. There also needs to be a way for families to know how to help loved ones who suffer from mental illnesses. I tried everything I could, but I didn’t have the resources.”