Cody’s death from a heroin overdose nearly caused Bonnie to check out of life as well.
But, her own support network loved her too much to let her go. With their help, she found a way to go on, and to give those suffering from opioid addiction a voice, in Cody’s name.
After 3 months in bed and a family intervention, I knew I had to be Cody’s voice. I refuse to let my beautiful boy become just a statistic. I became an advocate in our state. Meeting with our lawmakers, creating a foundation in his name to help those who cannot afford the gift of recovery. And most importantly, educate anyone and everyone who is convinced this could never happen to them.
Cody’s life goes on through her work, but his death is a tragedy. We must all use our voices to erase the stigma that comes with opioid addiction and support those in active recovery instead of vilifying anyone who has fallen prey to these drugs. The truth is, this crisis is so widespread that all of us know someone it has touched. These souls are our family, friends, classmates, and neighbors. If you know of someone struggling with addiction, don’t ostracize them, LOVE them. Your support may give them the courage they need to seek help and make a change.
For more on fighting the opioid crisis, visit RyanHampton.org.
