JACQUELINE P.: My son's name is Adam.
He died from a heroin overdose.
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You just are in turmoil all the time
to see your child struggling and to see your child
not know what to do.
I truly believe, had there been the parent coach
availability to me when I was going through with my son,
the outcome could have been different.
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I can keep my child's memory alive
and hopefully help other parents not go through all the pain
that I went through.
He was always a very sentimental and a kindhearted child.
It's challenging to understand this is his disease doing this.
It's not a moral failing.
Support systems are so important.
Since I lost my son, I have tried
to help people understand what substance use disorder is
and that stigma does not need to exist.
Right now, there's no barriers for who
has substance use disorder.
There's a lot of basic things that everyone
can do to help with this.
So I ask that everyone participate
in National Drug Take Back Day.
Bring all of your medications that
have expired to a local drop-off site.
You can just search online and find one near you.
We all do that.
You put your prescription back up in the medicine cabinet.
If you're not ever going to use it,
or you're not currently using it, and/or it's expired,
get rid of it the correct way.
I am now raising my grandson, Ryder.
He's my inspiration.
And he looks just like his dad did.
You can make a difference in this epidemic.
We have to help each other.
We have to have kindness.
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