Anchor: JENNIFER WAS LIKE
ANY OTHER TEEN.
SHE WAS A COMMUNITY THEATER
KID.
Anchor: HOW DID SHE BECOME
A HEROIN ADDICT?
STARTED WITH TAKING ADDERALL.
YOU KNOW, ONCE IN AWHILE.
STAY AWAKE TO GET THROUGH
SCHOOL.
Anchor: NOW A LOCAL MOM IS
USING THE DEATH OF HER DAUGHTER
ON INSPIRE, AND ACTUALLY AWARD,
OTHER YOUNG WOMEN SO THEY DO NOT
MAKE THE SAME DEADLY DECISIONS.
KAREN: HAS THE STORY OF
ADDICTION, PREVENTION AND LOVE.
REALLY HAVE NOT MOVED
ANYTHING.
THOSE ARE ALL THE TROPHIES THAT
SHE RECEIVED WHEN SHE PERFORMED.
Reporter: IT FEELS LIKE
JENNIFER GARBER IS STILL ALIVE
WHEN YOU WALK INTO THE GARDEN
CITY BEDROOM.
I HAVE NOT CHANGED ANYTHING.
Reporter: YOU LOOK AT THE
PICTURES AND IT LOOKS LIKE A
HAPPY HEALTHY TEENAGER.
Reporter: JENNIFER'S
PARENTS SANITY AND GEORGE ARE
NOT READY TO CLEAN OUT THE ROOM.
EVEN THOUGH SHE DIED A YEAR AND
A HALF AGO.
I CANNOT KEEP IT ALL FOREVER.
BUT RIGHT NOW --
Reporter: IT IS WHERE YOU
WANT IT.
YES.
Reporter: JENNIFER APPEARED
TO BE THE TYPICAL TEENAGER.
COMMUNITY THEATER KID.
SINGER.
SHE WAS A REALLY FUN SWEET GIRL.
AND PEOPLE WERE KIND OF DRAWN TO
HER.
I WAS SO EXCITED FOR WHAT HER
FUTURE WAS GOING TO HOLD.
Reporter: LITTLE DID THESE
GARDEN CITY PARENTS KNOW THAT
FUTURE WAS GOING TO BE CUT
SHORT.
SANDY RECALLS WHEN SHE FIRST
REALIZED THERE WAS TROUBLE.
AFTER HER DAUGHTER WENT AWAY TO
MSU.
ONE OF THE GOOD FRIENDS
CALLED AND SAID MRS. GARBER AND
SHE WAS CRYING.
I WILL NEVER FORGET T SHE SAID I
HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT JENNIFER
IS -- SHE HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH
TAKING HEROIN.
Reporter: SANDY CONFRONTED
HER DAUGHTER.
JENNIFER ADMITTED TO THE
ADDICTION.
TELLING HER MOM IT ALL STARTED
IN HIGH SCHOOL.
STARTED WITH TAKING ADDERALL.
ONCE IN AWHILE.
STAY AWAY TO GET THROUGH SCHOOL.
HOW IT PROGRESSED.
THEN IT WAS XANAX, THEN VICODIN,
ALL THE PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.
AND WHICH ULTIMATELY LED TO
HEROIN.
SHE WAS REALLY A TEXTBOOK
EXAMPLE OF HOW THAT HAPPENS AND
IS HAPPENING ALL OVER OUR
COMMUNITY.
Reporter: SANDY AND GEORGE
PUT THEIR DAUGHTER INTO REHAB
TIME AND TIME AGAIN AND ONCE OUT
JENNIFER WOULD FALL BACK INTO
ADDICTIVE WAYS.
SINCE JENNIFER DIED A YEAR
AND A HALF AGO I KNOW FIVE OTHER
KIDS THAT HAVE OVERDOSED.
FROM MY DAUGHTER'S GRADUATING
CLASS.
AND IT IS HORRIFYING.
IT IS HORRIFYING.
IT IS JUST NOT THE BAD KID AT
THE END OF THE BLOCK ANY MORE.
Reporter: TAKE A MINUTE TO
THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING OUT.
Reporter: WHAT DOES THIS
SCHOLARSHIP AND AWARD CEREMONY
HAVE TO DO WITH JENNIFER'S LIFE
AND DEATH.
IT IS IMPORTANT IT ME THAT
SHE HAS A LEGACY.
BECAUSE SHE DID NOT GET A LOT OF
TIME HERE ON EARTH.
BUS THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT SHE
CANNOT HAVE AN IMPACT.
Reporter: SANDY CREATED AN
AMAZING WOMAN FOUNDATION
PROVIDING EDUCATIONAL
OPPORTUNITIES AND FINANCIAL
ASSISTANCE FOR YOUNG WOMEN WHO
ARE SEEKING EXPERIENCE IN THE
ARTS.
SINGING AND DANCING AND
PAINTING AND EXPRESSIONS IN AN
ARTISTIC MANNER ARE REALLY
SOMETHING THAT, I THINK, ALLOWS
GIRLS ON BUILD THAT CONFIDENCE.
Reporter: WITH CONFIDENCE
AND SELF WORTH SHE HOPES THE
GIRLS WILL NOT TURN TO DRUGS.
ON THIS NIGHT FOUR LOCAL GIRLS
AGE 12 TO 16 ARE GETTING
FINANCIAL HELP TO PURSUE WHAT
THEY LOVE.
I AM YOUNGEST OF SIX KIDS.
AND MY PARENTS ARE PUTTING ALL
OF US THROUGH COLLEGE AND THIS
IS HELPING TO PAY FOR THE ART.
I REALLY WANT TO GO TO
PITTSBURG BALLET THEATER THIS
YEAR BUT IT WAS EXPENSIVE.
SO WHEN I SAW THIS OPPORTUNITY
IN THE PAPER.
I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, WHY NOT
TRY.
IT IS A BREATH AWAY FROM HOW
CRAZY AND CHAOTIC OUR LIVES ARE.
IT IS IMPORTANT.
BY GIVING THEM THE
SCHOLARSHIP MAYBE HAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY HERE THAT MAYBE THEY
WOULD NOT HAVE OTHERWISE.
SO IT IS A GREAT FEELING AND I
AM HAPPY TO HELP.
Reporter: A MOM GIVING TO
OTHER GIRLS IN REACTION TO
LOSING HER ONLY CHILD.
HOPING AND PRAYING THEY DO NOT
MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE JENNIFER
DID.
Reporter: SANDY AND GEORGE
LOOK BACK AND REALIZE THERE WERE
SIGNS THEIR DAUGHTER WAS IN
TROUBLE.
SHE STOPPED TAKING CARE OF
HERSELF.
DID NOT CARE SO MUCH ABOUT HER
GRADES.
THEY THOUGHT THAT SHE WAS JUST
BEING A TEENAGER.
BUT NOW THEY REALIZE THAT WAS
WHEN SHE STARTED TO CARE MORE
ABOUT THE DRUGS THAN ANYTHING
ELSE.
I POSTED A LINK TO THE AMAZING
WOMAN FOUNDATION.
IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE THAT WOULD
LIKE TO APPLY.
OR DONATE YOU CAN FIND ALL THE
INFORMATION ON THE COMMUNITY