The National Addiction Memorial honors the loved ones we’ve lost.

Melissa struggled with depression and anxiety as a young child and throughout her life. She sought relief through substances. Even though growing up was difficult, she enjoyed many things in life. She loved animals - especially her cats. She would treat them like dolls and dress them up in doll clothes and play house with them. She loved to ride her bike and scooter and play gymnastics outside in the summer with her neighborhood friends. Our family went to Disney World when she was in 4th grade and she soaked up every bit of Disney that she could. She wore her mickey mouse ears the entire time.
As Melissa got older, the substance use made it harder for her to do the normal things that children do - sports, friends, and school. Melissa had many attempts at sobriety, trying multiple rehabs. She kept trying and showed that she really wanted a different life for herself. In February 2017, she made her last attempt at sobriety and went to live at a sober living house. She had 8 wonderful months of sobriety that included much time with family and friends. I will cherish these times with Melissa forever.

David entered the world on his due date! After a long labor and a little scare with delivery, he was perfect! He was such a happy child! He was inquisitive and reached all of his milestones early. His verbal abilities were astonishing. He loved being a big brother. As he grew up, he continued to be a quick learner and school work came easy to him. His love of music led him to a degree in the production side of the industry. When he was 22 he had a fall and a bad break to his ankle. He needed surgery to repair it. The addiction began with the pain medication. His exposure to Oxycontin began then. Little did I know, this would lead us on a journey to hell. He kept the addiction from us. A phone call and message from his employer exposed the situation. He had missed several days of work, but we were unaware. As soon as he told us what was going on, we secured treatment for him. He actually received 60 days of treatment. After that he went into an Oxford House, which proved to be a disaster for him. His relapse occurred after a few days. This cycle repeated itself over and over. He was an active member of NA and AA. He could go longer periods of sobriety at times, the longest being two years. During that time he returned to school, became a Barber, opened a Barber Shop, and seemed to have conquered the disease! A few months later, he relapsed again. From that point, he never regained more than a couple of months at a time of sobriety. The last year of his life was a constant cycle of relapse. He was so distraught with himself. He lost his battle on July 26, 2015. He finally is at peace. The peace he yearned for.

Nazario was one of a kind. He would give his shirt for anyone. Growing up he was the troubled kid in our family. He lived most of his life in denial with his addiction problems. As his baby sister, I would worry about him but I also looked up to him at one point. After becoming hooked on pain killers from an accident, he moved on to the heaviest thing on earth. Heroine, you took my brothers physical body but you didn’t take away his soul. After his death, I promised him that I would go back to school and do something meaningful. I decided to return to school two weeks after his death and now, almost two years later, I am applying to a medical program this summer. My brother was my hero and I am not ashamed of his death anymore. He had a disease which one day I hope and dream to help others with medically. I hope that I am making you proud somewhere Nazario !

Carter lived life with passion, and loved being around his friends and family. He was a great salesman and could win you over with his charismatic personality and his beautiful blue eyes. After a car accident, he struggled with back pain and quickly became addicted to opioid pain medicine that was prescribed to him. His life became a downward spiral. Entering a long term structured sober living facility gave him four months of peace and hope. Unfortunately, in a moment of weakness, he relapsed, overdosed, and died. A beautiful person’s life cut short by this horrific drug epidemic.

Terry had MS and cardiovascular disease.
He struggled with alcohol, but dealt with it.
He became, like so many nowadays, dependant on opioids to control the pain.
He didn't like them, or the pain of MS and heart failure.
He truly was sick and tired of being sick and tired.
We shared Holy Communion Resurrection Sunday, the day he last came home from the hospital.
He died the next day.
As he left this world, his last words were "I love you Alice, please know I love you Alice! I love you! "
I miss him beyond belief, but I praise God for Him, and I look forward to seeing him again.
God bless you all!

My son never said he wanted to grow up to have an addiction. He hated and despised that part of him. He looked at me with tears and said Mom you just don’t get it...my brain is not wired right. He was my first born. He was a gentle soul who cared deeply for friends and family. He loved doing things for people just to see their faces light up. He was fun to be around. The life of the party. I tell him each and every day how much I miss him. My life will never be the same. EVER

Michael was a happy, sweet little boy. After my divorce, he began to struggle with substance use. He wanted to be a man of God and knew that God was the one that could set him free but he also struggled admitting he had a problem. We don't understand the circumstances surrounding his accident but trust God's plan for deliverance for His child. I am left with a big hole in my heart that will only be healed when I see his beautiful sweet smile again.

Jack struggled with mental health issues his entire life. Unable to find the right help, he turned to self-medicating, which led to the struggle he was unable to overcome. We lost Jack to a heroin overdose in 2014 on Valentine's Day. He will be in my heart forever and what better way to celebrate his life and the love we shared than each and every year on Valentine's Day.

Jack was so full of life, he lived every day with energy to have fun and give everything 110% effort. He was funny, witty, smart, adventurous, fearless, and the list goes on and on. He loved his family and friends to the moon and back. He loved to play cribbage and in his honor our family has created new rules around the Jack of Hearts! He will always be the Jack of my Heart!

While I miss Jack every minute of every single day, I am also thankful that his struggles are over and he is at peace. His passing hurts just as much as having to watch him struggle on a daily basis to fight the demons inside of him.

Rest in peace buddy! I love and miss you so much. Until we meet again...

Sheena had years of sobriety from opiates. She had a very short relapse that ended with her first and fatal overdose. She used to say that she hated heroin but heroin loved her. It was always there calling her name. She was a caretaker and loved taking care of her patients and always treated them with the utmost respect. She loved her son so much, and her son misses his mommy. I miss my daughter so much.

Kent always loved an adrenaline rush. From the time he was five years old, he would always give his mother panic while trying to steal bases in T-ball. He was always a little shy, but truly found the best part of every person he encountered. Kent viewed and felt the world differently. When a friend or sibling was hurting, he hurt just as much. Kent powered every day to try and fight the disease of addiction to better his life not only for himself but for his family as well. As his family, we are not ashamed of the fight he endured to render himself of the disease. We are proud of the kind man he was and how he taught us to understood that while people have their own faults, we are all better than our worst moments.

Patrick was a smart, kind, caring, son, and brother who loved his family with all that he had! Patrick had to work hard at everything he did. He would always be there to help his parents, brother, and grandmother whenever he could!
Patrick was very close to his grandmother who passed when he was estranged from his family for a short time and came home four hours after she passed. That was very difficult for him. Patrick passed because of fentanyl after a relapse.
He will be forever missed but never forgotten! My son’s life mattered!

Ryan struggled with addiction to alcohol from his late teens due to his genetics as well as his insecurities. I feel such guilt for not seeing the signs since when he moved back home to go to school. I said it was only if the drinking stopped. I will never know for sure, but the more I think back, the more I believe he substituted pills for alcohol. He was always insecure no mater how handsome everyone thought he was or how selfless he was. He was kind to everyone and never put himself first. The day before he passed, he had found out he had received a full ride to the University of Redlands in music, which was his passion and something that made his life brighten as well as others. He could talk about music for hours and he taught himself everything by ear. When he passed, he still didn’t read music, it was all by ear. He had a talent from within. I feel the guilt that I should have seen the signs, and the ones I did I ignored, not wanting to think it was that bad. You never want to think your baby is that deep in the same addiction that took your other loved ones. I feel the guilt that maybe the man I married was too hard on him and I should have stepped in. That I will also never know. He also felt that when he passed. All I know, is the world is a dimmer place without my angel in it and I wish it would have been me. He made everything and everyone better when he was around. His friends still come to me about him, they even check on me. I wanted to share this story because we went from one of the closest families I know to a family that, although still close, will always be missing a piece and never feel the same nor be whole again. I pray this can help another family and make them get help. With love, Ryan’s Mum

He fought a good fight and tried really hard to beat his addiction but in the end the drugs won. He left his family and friends to deal with the devastation of his death.

David slid into addiction as have so many young people. He was prescribed Vicodin when his wisdom teeth were removed at 17 years old. Ten years later, he died of an opiate overdose. In between, he lived fast, loved deeply, and tried to overcome his addiction many times. In the end, it took him; along with so much unrealized potential. He was handsome, kind, generous...and so smart. I lost my son, his son lost his dad, and the world lost a bright star that burned out much too soon.

My sweet fiancé and father to our soon to be born daughter was a smart, funny, outgoing, and super sweet guy who had a heart of gold. Unfortunately, he struggled with addiction for nearly 20 years and it ended his life tragically short. I will always miss him and his laugh and the sound of his voice and just everything about him. He will live on through our daughter though who I am blessed to have because she is a piece of him. We love and miss you every day, Colin. RIP

My son went to rehab for his addiction to heroin on his 21st birthday. He was doing great. So great that 90 days passed and he moved to a sober living quarters. My son's life mattered. I don't want Any parent to be me.
Joanne Pleger Brandon's mother Thank You

My beautiful loving son lost his battle with addiction in November of 2014. He was a father to a son of his own. He was a son. He was a friend to many. The day he went to heaven he came home and was with me (his mom), and sadly went to sleep and passed. My son worked hard even up until he passed away. He was a good man but unfortunately fell into a crowd I didn’t know. My world for myself and my grandson changed forever. My son is forever 24. We miss him so much and I wait for the day when I will go home and be with him again.

Garret was 28 years old when he lost his battle with heroin/drug addiction. Garret struggled with addiction for about 10 years. Once he discovered heroin, his life spiraled. He attempted treatment a couple of times. His last attempt was August 11th, 2014, his brother's birthday. He was doing well, he was released from a halfway house on October 22nd, 2014. He died 6 days later from a fatal dose of heroin and other drugs. Garret's smile would light up a room. He was incredibly intelligent and talented. He learned quickly. Anything he put his mind to, he mastered. Some of his friends entered treatment after his death and are in recovery. So, I guess he's still saving lives. He had saved several friends in the past from overdose. I now share our story with others to try and save other families from this heartbreak. Getting Narcan out to the public is crucial. My beautiful son Garret did not die in vain. His legacy of kindness and compassion continues to live on. My beautiful son, SOAR strong, proud and forever free.

Tripp was always a kid that wanted to be outdoors. He loved, fishing, golf, and his pets. He was a great golfer. My wish or regret is that I didn’t recognize his struggles and wasn’t able to do more to save him from the clutches of addiction! He loved his family and we loved him so. I miss him so, but find some peace that he isn’t struggling every day to find happiness! My heart goes out to all who lives have been touched by addiction. May we never lose hope!