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

his struggle started when he was a teenager and continued from there He had been to treatments and would do good at times and then he would relapse. He finally moved this past year in 2014 to be close to his family and start over with a fresh start. He was doing so good, got a job and had plans to go back and finish his college degree this fall. He died March 7, 2015. The year drop down box did not show 2015 as an option. He was 38. I took him to work that Saturday after spending the whole day with him. Little did I know 6 hours later he would be gone from our lives forever. The temptation of heroin got the best of him. He was found in the bathroom at work laying on the floor barely breathing. CPR did not bring him back. What he thought he bought was heroin , was actually pure fentanyl and killed him instantly. His family, friends and me his girlfriend - our lives were changed and completely shattered within minutes. We do not understand how this could happen to such a great, handsome, charismatic loving man , so young. It's devastating.

Started as a mental health (OCD) issues in 5th grade then as he got older a very complex, confusing and a tangled web of not one issue but multiple issues that didn't allow Scott to live a normal life. He tried so hard through wilderness program, rehab centers, AA meetings, finishing high school and going to college. He/We did everything possible. Our Christmas of 2009 we had our family back together again and how happy and full of love we all shared together. Scott was clean now for over three years trying to continue on the road to recovery and live the normal life he so much wanted. However mental health issues and the web of addiction caused Scott great angst and pain. We lost Scott just before his 21st birthday. In his letter to us he says "this is a choice that I have wanted for a long time now, even since I was a kid. The cause is unknown but it kills me everyday, there was nothing done wrong by anyone. To my family I love you guys so much and don't you forget it. I'll never forget the good times we had as a family. Words can't describe how horrible I feel everyday for putting such strain on all of our relationships. I love you guys so much. We Love You More (LUM) Scott and are so very proud of you for everything you had to go through and everything you did in the short time you where with us.

Sammy lost his father to a suicide when he was child. He began using alcohol very young. He became addicted to alcohol and had a lot of loss due to his alcoholism. Sammy had always dabbled with drugs, and eventually became addicted to meth and RX drugs. He lost the battle a month after his brother took his life due to his own addiction issues.

Ryan's struggle began at about 13 years old. He started experimenting with marijuana and alcohol. Looking back this was an attempt to self medicate. As time went on Ryan progressed to prescription pain medication and onto injection of Heroin. We spent the last 4 years of Ryan's life trying to help him get well. Countless rehab centers and half way houses. Just before Ryan was to return to another rehab facility, for whatever reason, he decided to get high one more time. Ryan had no money and decided to try and grab a bag from his dealer. While trying to get away the drug dealer shot Ryan in the back of his head. Ryan died 4 days later.

Rodney was known to abuse cocaine and methamphetamine. He would get to low point and then leave his life for several days, get a motel and binge on his drug of choice.

Robert was in recovery from a heroin addiction that began from percocets, when he relapsed, and his friends left him to die alone.

Robert was in a car accident in 2007. As his sister, I believe his addiction started after his body became immune to the pain medication his doctor was prescribing him. In 2009, Robert overdosed for the first time. Besides his “father” his family stuck by his side. We wanted him to get better and he wanted to get better too. Robert attended a detox program and when he got out we attended meetings with him. As his sister, I remember the meetings were everyday and each night was a different meeting. Robert was clean for a few months and then relapsed again. As his family, we held an intervention and explained how we all felt. Robert tried again to overcome his addiction. Robert relapsed and overdosed many times but he would try again to overcome his addiction. Roberts’s addiction became so bad that he would do whatever it took to get high; even if that meant stealing from his loved ones. As his family; we knew the drug was making him do this and this was not our Robert. Robert went to prison and earned his high school diploma. When he was out of prison, it was difficult for him to find a job therefore, he decided to attend college. Robert set goals for himself that he wanted to accomplish for his children. Robert lost his battle to overcome this addiction too soon and he deserved one more chance.

We'll not realizing my son was hard on himself...always trying to be the best...his mind ever rested...being diagnosed having OCD when I picked up something was wrong...life was getting tougher for him to hide his intrusive thinking..he started smoking weed...surprised cause he was a health kid who eat correctly and worked out...not knowing he was trying to numb his pain...I was to say the lest surprised...after awhile it lead to smoking crack...the bait in the trap...he was now full of guilt and understanding his own choices....Richie went to rehab 8 times in one year...this disease took him in sixteen months of use....left the veritable villa April 20 2005 and past away in his sleep on the 26th ....I have had 3 fund raisers in 2006 2007 And 2008 to help parents and addicts with the cost of private rehab....insurance companies have to change their policies of 28 day stay once a year....God bless all of you...I would love to help in anyway I can...

Ralph was always the guy that had a beer in his hand. For many years, it was enough for him. Then the stress of life and past issues that were not dealt with caused him to search for more. He turned to wine, and lots of it. In the span of about 2 years, he went from a functioning alcoholic to a non-functioning alcoholic. He had all the tools in place to help him beat this but none of us (family and friends), realized just how addicted he was. He had a great week of sobriety after his third detox. It's a week that will always be imprinted in our memories. Then he did the unthinkable. He drank a substance that was not meant to be consumed. It caused irreversable brain damage and ultimatley, his death. He never regained consciousness. It was with a sad and heavy heart that his family chose to remove him from the breathing tube after a week in the Trauma and Life Support Unit. Later that night, the good Lord took him home and ended his long road of suffering.

Perrin was an alcoholic. His downward spiral began in 2012 and went downhill from there until his passing in January. He had moments of sobriety, but they did not last. Perrin thought he could beat it on his own...

Patrick hid his addiction underneath his struggle with Type 1 diabetes. Many symptoms of one not keeping up with their diabetes are similar to one on certain narcotics - particularly during withdrawal. He suffered silently and alone.

Nicole struggled with alcohol addictition, her and I had an oxycontin addiction and we had overcome that together but we could not let go of the booze. We drank a half a gallon a day and sometimes more. We were not bad people just addicted people.

Nick struggled with his addiction because he always felt he could fix it on his own. He always had an alternative plan that he thought would get him through to the next week or month. He went to rehab, both in patient and out patient, always returning home with a new and positive attitude. He saw counselors, was prescribed medications and attended NA meetings. Nothing seemed to improve his underlying problem of low self esteem. At the end of the day it was such a paradox that someone who was loved so much by so many, could not find the love within to save himself. He desperately wanted to conquer this disease and return to the life he led before his addiction. He was always so apologetic. He frequently expressed his love and appreciation for all we had done for him. But each time he took 5 steps forward something would happen and he would end up taking 10 steps backward. Its such a tragedy that through all of our efforts as a family we were unable to save our son.

Nick was troubled from early childhood. My boys are almost 10 years apart so of course when my older son became a teenager Nick wanted to be like him. I had it rough had my first child at 20 had to finish school get a job and take care of a baby. I did that but when Nick came things changed I didn't do all the first things MOMMIES do when your first child came along I didn't do the pic thing or the vacation thing I just went to work and that was it. But Nick struggled with being the younger sibling he wanted to be like his older brother. So he started acting out skipping school finding ways to get in trouble. Stealing cars, breaking into houses you name it my son did it. Being in Jail numerous times and rehab early did not matter he just wanted to come home. Kids Escaping Drugs helped out a lot he did the program and graduated he took his GED and scored very high. But he met a girl and she gave him drugs after being clean for more than one year and he overdosed. She is now in jail and when she gets out I am going to beat her ass cuz she will be of age. I know I am angry but I am so dam mad.

He started using when his mom passed away when. He was about 14 or 15 --he took it very hard. He was never the same since. He was clean on and off and deep down wanted be clean and stay clean, but it was all just too much for him especially losing his mom at young age I met him in July of 2015 and we had been inseparable ever since. He was my everything, my heart and soul and I will forever miss him.

Mitch became addicted to prescriptions meds while in high school and then it eventually led to heroin use. He was always secretive about his addiction and was able to hide and fool us for a very long time. He could never admit that he had a problem, even when confronted. He suffered with mental illness and a low self-esteem. There is no doubt that his drug use helped calm his inner demons and pain. During the last year of his life he was incarcerated. He shared with me that he didn't want to be the way he was, or do the things that he had done to land him in the jail to begin with. He said he knew the things that he done were wrong, but could not help himself, could not stop himself, and he did not know why he was this way. This broke my heart to hear his words. He was greatly suffering from within.

Mike struggled for 15 years. Two weeks before he died he said, "Mom if I ever overdose, I'm sorry." He worked so hard but said the demons were stronger. He was a tortured soul."