Amanda Mattson

A letter to one of Mandy's NA friends: Sorry for the delay in getting this to you. I am so grateful that you were there at Mandy’s viewing. It’s very strange for me to know Mandy’s gone, but I’m glad she doesn't hurt anymore. I’m glad she had a short time to know what it was like to have a regular life. I knew there would be a day where she’d be gone long before I would, but knowing did not make it any easier. I never expected hers would be the first obituary I’d write. Thank you for letting me know my family and I were not the only ones trying to help her. We got the autopsy report back this week. It confirmed the combination of meth and alcohol was the cause of death. Part of me wanted to believe this wasn't the case, but I knew better. I didn't want Mandy to be just another statistic. I’m hoping this will impact someone else’s life in steering them away from drug abuse. Although I cannot personally understand addiction, I have witnessed multiple other people just as close to me as Mandy go through the same thing. I know the battle is internal and one of the most difficult, constant fights a person can experience. All I know is my family and I won’t allow ourselves to give up on those going through this fight. Once we do, the person has lost half the battle. I pray this letter finds you well. I pray you and I will both find the peace we are looking for. Most of all, I pray that we can create so much good in the world from losing Mandy. _____________________ Mandy was abusing pills as a young teenager and had moved to meth and heroin by the time she was 21. By then, she had also lost custody of her two girls who were younger than 2-years-old. When her girls became teenagers themselves, their only dream was to meet their birth mom. They sadly finally met Mandy at her viewing. Mandy was strong and clean for the last 9 months of her life. She was starting to work on her GED, had her first job, and had hope in her eyes. "