PLANTSVILLE – Thousands of people from across the country die each year from opioid addiction, but the families of lost loved ones are looking to eliminate that statistic.
A national effort has been started to tackle the epidemic after President Trump addressed it as a crisis, leaving many families still waiting for a solution.
Two mothers have turned their sons’ death into stories of hope by writing letters to the president.
The idea was all started by a mother in Massachusetts who also lost her son to addiction. Next thing she knew, her idea spread like wildfire on social media. For the past few days, mothers and fathers all across the country have been busy writing their letters to President Trump to share their stories and pictures of their children.
Christine Gagnon and Sue Kruczek are two Connecticut mothers who will be spending Valentine’s Day just a little differently than anyone else. They will be spending it with their sons through pictures.
“When I looked on the floor, I saw him. I knew he was dead,” said Gagnon.
Mike Gagnon was 22-years old when he died. He was on the football team in high school until one day he was kicked off for having marijuana. That eventually led to molly, ecstasy, heroin and then fentanyl, the drug that ended Mike’s life on an early Monday morning in July 2017.
“I say he was murdered,” added Gagnon.
She said she was well aware of her son’s addiction, but the resources to help him were not availale and not enough. That is where her letter to President Trump comes in.
“There’s a big debate as to whether letting someone hit their rock bottom. Unfortunately, in this day and age, rock bottom is death,” added Gagnon.
For Sue Kruczek, it has been five years since she lost her son, 20-year old Nick Kruczek. Like Mike, he had a sport he was passionate about and it was hockey.
Before Nick’s first game, a classmate offered him a white pill and said it would help with the nerves and it did, but temporarily because he died in October 2013 from an overdose.
Kruczek said every day, she would get a text from her son saying “I love you” until one day she did not.
“The only thing I remember is begging them to please get there fast and fix my son,” said Kruczek.
However, it was too late. Nick died just 11 days before his birthday.
“Maybe it’ll get read. Maybe not, but I wanted it at least to get to his desk,” added Kruczek.
Both mothers said the pain will always feel raw, but they are hoping each envelope to the White House will make a difference.
“Each of those numbers is a specific person and it’s really important for everyone to realize that number is one person,” added Gagnon.
“The quadrupled are those still struggling and those are the ones that we are fighting for … desperately,” added Kruczek.
The purpose of this initiative is to give a new definition to Valentine’s Day where mothers and fathers around the country would mail out their letters Saturday with the goal of it reaching the president’s desk by Valentine’s Day.
To read more about this initiative, click here.