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

James, or Jay (as I called him) or J.J. (As a lot of people knew him) was an amazing man! We fell in love when I was 14. Although I tried to fight it I gave in 10 years later and married him. He loved our children and really he loved all children! He was a hard worker but he loved to play around just as much! He was a jokester, always pulling pranks at work. We struggled with our addiction together in our 30's. I couldn't believe we became addicts at that age. He was and will always be my first love and my hero! I will never forget him and I will make sure no one else will either! I will make sure his life did not end in vain. His story is so complicated yet really so simple. Drugs prescribed by doctors started it all. A dirt bike accident started it all, and Heroin ended it all. Sometimes people can't make the connection between the two but a lot of people who have struggled with this understand. It happens a lot. More than it ever should!

I miss Aidan’s gentle spirit. He was easy to talk to and he really understood people. I am honored to be his mom. Aidan’s struggle with addiction was short. He didn’t get a second chance. Aidan lived a life of love and compassion. He will be forever remembered.

Zachary had battled with addiction since the age of 17. He overdosed in June of 2017 and was brought back to us by the use of Narcan. He was in outside treatment from that point on. Zack was the most loving giving caring young man. He was a best friend to all. He would take in the “underdog” and love them unconditionally. Once he was your friend you had him for life. He was the best friend to his sister. They had the most loving relationship, truly best friends. Zack was my man of the house and the most loving compassionate son a mom could have been blessed with. He had the softest soul... I believe too soft..he didn’t want to die and leave us! Zack died from Fentanyl which we are seeing families losing their loved ones to every day! Life will never be the same and as his mom, I will never be the same we just have to somehow keep going on for our love for Zack.

Keith was born in 1985, the first boy on my side of the family in 30 whole years. And he was all boy. A delight, a struggle, and a handful. He adored his sister born three years later and together, our life was a mass calendar of sports and activities, nonstop. Both of our children excelled as athletes and had very busy social lives. Cut to about 10th grade when drugs began to invade our home and the downside began. It would take far too much time to go into, but from age 17 to 20, our child went thru 18 rehabs, two arrests, and 90 minutes after leaving his last rehab we got a phone call to rush to a hospital where they told us he was no longer with us. The year 2006 was the beginning, really.Suburbia was in shock. Our children didn't do heroin. That's "for low class people, broken homes, children who don't eat dinner every night together." All of those stereotypes were rampant and brought me to my knees. Heroin had BECOME SUBURBIA. In shock and absolutely devastated, as we roll into 13 years already without our beautiful boy, I see the ache is far,far worse and the longing is greater. I don't much like my new life but I do it for my daughter and my husband. And I remember the child who lit up our world and wish every single day we could go back. Nibble, Nibble, Crunch...

My mini me, my first born, a connection I cannot even explain. I miss her sense of humor and the way she accepted everyone right where they were in life. I miss seeing her with her siblings and the little ones getting to know her. She left a hole in my soul when she left.

Joshua had a heart of gold. He would do anything to help someone in need. Joshua loved to make people laugh. He was a very talented artist. Joshua will be forever loved and missed. I will hold you in my heart until I can hold you in my arms again.

David’s struggle with Substance Use Disorder began after having his wisdom teeth removed the summer following his senior year. He was prescribed 60 Percocet and he slid quickly into addiction. He passed at age 23 of acute overdose of cocaine and Xanax, alone with a needle in his arm. After his death, I educated myself and now educate others about SUD. I tell parents not to fall for “not my kid syndrome” and tell kids that one “bad decision” can lead to death. This picture is the last picture I would have with both my sons on 12/23/2016. David is on the left and his younger brother, Charles, on the right.

My son Joshua was a good man!! He tried so hard in life but he had an addiction that overtook him. I love my son and my heart is forever shattered. I would give anything to have him back, but I know he’s not struggling and he’s not hurting anymore. He is with God now and I hope to see him soon💔😭🦋 Fly high with the angels my beautiful son!!🦋😇🦋😇🦋😇🦋

Lil was a very sweet beautiful young woman. She loved music, playing video games. She loved all animals. She was funny and also she loved her son, Levi.

Nick had an addiction to marijuana. He wasn’t himself the last couple of months of his life. He was depressed and unable to eat or sleep. We assumed it was depression and had him see the doctor. He was a senior in college. We begged him to come home but he insisted he was fine. One Saturday morning his roommates came home and he was already gone. Nothing they could do. They have all clammed up. We will never know what was going on those last couple of weeks. There were over 700 people at his funeral. He was an amazing person. Had the world at his fingertips. He had an infectious laugh. He made anyone he met feel like a queen or king. Nothing will ever ease the pain of losing our blue eyed boy.

He was a hunter and liked fishing. Loved to be the life of the party. Would give you the shirt off his back. Loved music, karaoke, and a great dancer. I know he used some drugs growing up but nothing that he ever did for periods of time. He took a fentanyl patch one night I found him almost dead. It scared him, but I told him he should try and go live with his dad in NC where he worked for him as a carpenter doing trim work, making great money. He worked out a lot, very healthy. One night he was with a different group of friends, got something, went home and that was it. Took my handsome son's life. It was fentanyl! He would be so mad at himself. He didn't want to die, he loved life. It just takes one time or could take 100. Bobby would say don't touch drugs if he was alive. Thanks. Bobby's mom forever.

My daughter had only lived on her own for four months. We didn’t realize she had started inhaling Air Duster when her daughters were with their dad. On the night of her death, those who were hanging out with her at her apartment got scared and waited to call 911. Had someone called immediately the outcome may have been different. Heartbroken Forever 💔

Amber was a beautiful, smart, loving girl who turned to drugs after leaving a relationship where she was physically, mentally, and sexually abused. She tried rehab several times, and had an appointment at a new facility for one week after she died.
She was drawn to troubled souls, hoping to fix them. She loved her family, Queen, and animals, especially her dog Lucy.
She was voted class clown in high school, and always had a smile on her face.
She had no sense of self worth, and couldn't forgive herself for the the things she put her family through. We are raising her four year old son, who she loved more than anything.
She was loved more than she ever knew, and is missed greatly by her parents, brothers, friends, and especially her son.
If love could have saved her, she never would have died.

My daughter was everything to me. She was loved by all who knew her. Her family and her real friends were important to her. Kelly struggled for a year. Before her addiction she was depressed with how things were going for her in life. She started with pills and eventually moved to heroin. She struggled back and forth for a year until it took her young life at the age of 23. She will forever be missed. 💔

Sonya was a great person who was outgoing, crafty, loved to cook, and go camping with her family. She got hooked on pills and then heroin. She couldn't stop. She was a great mother to her three kids. We had a lot of ups and downs. Sonya finally went to jail for a couple of months. I thought everything was going good but three days later she had to do it one more time. They found her on the bathroom floor and resuscitated her for 45 minutes before they got her back. She coded again at the hospital and it took them another 45 minutes to get her breathing again.
None of us knew anything until the next morning. It was January 14. I knew as soon as we saw her she was gone! They kept her on life support for 11 days. I'm so thankful for that time with her. I thank God for that. We got to say goodbye. Even if she was not with us anymore. I hope she didn't feel hurt on that bathroom floor, and some say that they don't. But I miss her with everything I have. Thank God for my family and some good friends that helped me this year.

Priscilla struggled with anxiety. She used marijuana and xanax to cope, then in the end, heroin. So, everyone says marijuana is no big deal. My response is, marijuana is never enough! Drugs are drugs, legal or illegal. I wish that the ones that look to drugs to help them would look inside of themselves for a better answer, and then look to the cross of Jesus. The real answer is there! It’s not in a needle or a pill or a pipe! Priscilla was MY blessing! ALWAYS loving, affectionate, generous and kind. Even through her addiction. She was genuine and cared deeply for those she loved. She was my daughter, and a wonderful big sister, granddaughter, niece, cousin and friend. She had a tendency to pick the wrong friends and mates. She never judged anyone which was admirable, but she often joined in on others' dangerous activities....until it cost her and us. She’s paid the ultimate price for “friendship” and being in that “club”. She’s gone where I’ve not been and she can’t report back to me about what she’s doing and seeing. It’s a more cruel world without her. And I can’t wait to see her again!