On October 21, 2018, we lost our kind, funny, thoughtful, and inquisitive 19-year-old son Tyler to fentanyl poisoning. He died in the bathroom of a sober-living facility in Beverlywood, California, right around the corner from our house. Tyler, and our whole family, suffered from his substance use disorder for three years. Like many, he began using drugs to self-medicate for anxiety and to fit in. Tyler was brilliant, could fix anything, and was a master computer hacker who trusted and forgave everyone who wronged him. He was loved by so many friends and family, but didn’t realize his own worth. Our family invested all the time, money, and love we could to try to save our son--yet like countless other families across the country, we failed. 

While Tyler had substance use disorder, there are many kids dying from fentanyl-poisoned drugs during their first time ever taking any street drug. Unbeknownst to many, street drugs (such as pills, cocaine, meth, and crack) are poisoned with fentanyl and sold via Instagram and Snapchat, targeting young teens. Kids cannot experiment with drugs, because one mistake can equal death. We are trying to prevent other families from going through what ours has by spreading the word about fentanyl. We are available to come to your school, parent group, social club or professional group to tell our story and talk about the dangers of fentanyl and how to prevent drug deaths.