>>> IN A SINGLE YEAR, 2015, MORE
AMERICANS DIED OF HEROIN OR
OPIOID OVERDOSES THAN DIED IN
THE 9/11 ATTACKS AND HURRICANE
KATRINA COMBINED.
THIS IS A NATIONAL EMERGENCY.
PLAIN AND SIMPLE.
AND YESTERDAY PRESIDENT TRUMP
SAID HE WOULD SOON FORMALLY
DECLARE IT ONE.
IT IS NEWS THAT COMES TOO LATE
FOR THE SAVAGE FAMILY WHO KNOWS
FIRSTHAND THE DEVASTATING
EFFECTS OF THE NATION'S OPIOID
CRISIS AND THEY ARE DETERMINED
TO STOP IT.
>> REMEMBER THAT?
>> YEAH, I DO.
>> BECKY AND MIKE SAVAGE HAD A
HOUSE FULL OF BOYS.
THE TWO OLDEST CHILDREN, NICK
AND JACK, WERE THE BEST OF
FRIENDS.
>> THEY WERE ACADEMIC KIDS.
THEY WERE POPULAR.
THEY WERE ATHLETES.
THEY DID A LOT OF COMMUNITY
SERVICE.
>> YOUNGER BROTHERS JUSTIN AND
MATTHEW THOUGHT THE WORLD OF
THEM.
>> JACK WAS OUR 18-YEAR-OLD.
AND HE ALWAYS HAD A SMILE ON HIS
FACE.
NICK, I WOULD SAY, WAS PROBABLY
MORE QUIET.
THEY KIND OF WERE THE PERFECT
COMPLEMENTS TO EACH OTHER.
>> NICK AND JACK PLAYED HOCKEY
TOGETHER IN HIGH SCHOOL.
BOTH WERE TEAM CAPTAINS.
MVPs.
AND ROLE MODELS.
IN 2014, NICK GRADUATED WITH
ACADEMIC HONORS AND WENT TO
COLLEGE.
A YEAR LATER, JACK WAS ON THE
SAME TRACK.
>> I THINK THAT THEY HAD A VERY
BRIGHT FUTURE IN FRONT OF THEM.
>> THEY ALWAYS SEEMED TO BE THE
ONES THAT MADE THE RIGHT
CHOICES.
I'M A NURSE, AND MY HUSBAND AND
I HAVE TALKED TO OUR KIDS ABOUT
UNDERAGE DRINKING AND THE
DANGERS THAT CAN COME WITH IT,
AND ALSO ABOUT USING DRUGS.
AND WE HAD ALWAYS TALKED TO THEM
ABOUT NOT DOING THAT.
>> BUT BECKY AND MIKE SAY THEY
NEVER TALKED TO THEIR BOYS ABOUT
THE DANGERS OF PRESCRIPTION
DRUGS.
LIKE OPIOIDS.
AN OVERSIGHT THEY NOW REGRET.
>> I REALLY FIRMLY BELIEVE IF I
WOULD HAVE TALKED TO THE BOYS
ABOUT THAT, YOU KNOW, AND I
THINK THEY WOULD HAVE LISTENED
TO ME.
AND I HOPE SO, ANYWAY.
>> ON JUNE 13th, 2015, TWO WEEKS
AFTER JACK'S HIGH SCHOOL
GRADUATION, NICK AND JACK HAD
PARTY PLANS.
MIKE TOOK THE YOUNGER BOYS
FISHING.
>> I KNEW THE PARTIES THAT THEY
WERE ATTENDING.
SO I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE ANY
WORRIES OR ANY REASON FOR
CONCERN.
>> THE BOYS CAME HOME ON TIME.
NICK BROUGHT SOME FRIENDS FOR A
SLEEPOVER.
>> THEY CHECKED IN WITH ME
AROUND 12:00, 12:30, AND THEN I
TURNED MY LIGHT OUT AND WENT TO
BED.
>> THE NEXT MORNING, BECKY WENT
INTO JACK'S BEDROOM TO COLLECT
HIS LAUNDRY.
SHE TRIED TO WAKE HIM, BUT THERE
WAS NO RESPONSE.
.
>> BEING A NURSE, I, YOU KNOW,
FELT FOR A PULSE.
AND CHECKED HIS BREATHING, AND
HE DIDN'T HAVE EITHER ONE.
>> BECKLEY IMMEDIATELY BEGAN CPR
ON JACK AND DIALED 911.
SHE YELLED FOR NICK'S HELP.
BUT HE NEVER ANSWERED.
WHILE SHE WAS TRYING TO SAVE
JACK, SHE HAD NO IDEA THAT NICK
WAS ALSO IN DANGER.
AND UNRESPONSIVE.
NICK'S FRIENDS COULDN'T WAKE HIM
UP, AND THEY HAD ALREADY CALLED
911.
>> BY THE TIME THE PARAMEDICS
HAD GOTTEN THERE, BOTH BOYS WERE
GONE.
>> IN THE MIDST OF THE CHAOS,
BECKY GOT WORD TO MIKE THAT
THERE WAS AN EMERGENCY AT HOME.
>> YOU START WALKING UP TO THE
HOUSE, AND ALL THESE FIREMEN,
POLICE OFFICERS, ARE LOOKING AT
ME.
AND I REMEMBER THINKING TO
MYSELF, THEY JUST WERE SO STOIC
IN THEIR FACES, YOU KNOW.
SO --
>> BECKY HAD TO TELL MIKE THE
DEVASTATING NEWS.
>> I JUST LOOKED AT HER.
I DIDN'T EVEN SAY ANYTHING.
SHE JUST SAID, "THEY'RE GONE."
AND -- YEAH.
YEAH.
>> THE CORONER DETERMINED THAT
BOTH NICK AND JACK DIED OF AN
OVERDOSE OF OXYCODONE AND
ALCOHOL.
BECKY AND MIKE BELIEVE THEIR
BOYS MADE ONE BAD CHOICE THAT
COST THEM THEIR LIVES.
AND IT COULD HAVE BEEN
PREVENTED.
>> IT'S EVERY PARENT'S
NIGHTMARE.
IT'S STILL A NIGHTMARE THAT WE
LIVE WITH EVERY SECOND OF EVERY
DAY.
I CAN'T CHANGE WHAT HAPPENED
THAT NIGHT ON JUNE 15th.
BUT WE CAN CHANGE HOW WE RESPOND
TO THAT, AND WE REACT TO THAT.
AND HOPEFULLY BY TALKING ABOUT
IT, WE'RE BRINGING MORE