Carol’s daughter, Melly, died at home a year-and-a-half ago at the age of 21. Melly was a petite blonde with a smile that would light up a room, and who had the cutest voice and the sweetest personality. She loved painting, gardening, shopping, make-up and hair, and had aspirations of one day being a chef. Carol feels there should be changes in how law enforcement officials handle overdoses and has reached out to her state lawmakers to adopt practices such as having a mental health professional as part of the team who responds to an overdose emergency. She also started a chapter of Parents of Addicted Loved Ones (PAL) in her community. The PAL website is palgroup.org or you can call them at 480-300-4712.

If you would like to tell your story about an overdose death, please contact Susan Claire at [email protected].