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

My father had his first drink of alcohol at 12 years old. Throughout his life, he was able to get sober for a month here, a year there, but ultimately his addiction pulled him back in. While in his addiction he lied, cheated, and stole. He was homeless more often than not, and many times out of his own choice. The man with the bottle was a night and day difference from my father when he was sober. My father preferred alcohol and would drink anything that could get him drink. Mouthwash, hand sanitizer, you name it, he tried it. He also struggled with drug addiction throughout the years.

Truly's struggles started 8 years ago. She did have 2 years sober in those 8 years but after her relapse she just couldn't seem to beat the disease. She put up a fierce fight all the way to the end. Unfortunately, the substance abuse won :(

Initially developed an addiction to pain killers for a genetic spinal condition, and after her divorce in 2010, met others who used street drugs and began a spiral into full blown addiction. She received inpatient treatment in 2013 as a result of court involvement, finished treatment but did not change her lifestyle of people, places, and things, and repeatedly relapsed as a result. Finally in January 2016, she needed to truly change as she moved her teenage son back into family home but again kept in contact with her old friends and made a fatal mistake of relapsing on pure fentanyl the morning of July 13 2016. Before 2010 she was the least likely person to have used any type of drugs having witnessed the carnage of active addiction in her family. Even knowing this and having friends, cousins, uncles, and stepparents die from the effects of addiction she still fell prey to its lure and was not able to overcome it's hold. A momentarily lapse of judgement and reason took her away from the son who loved and adored her and the many friends and family that held hope that she would be able to overcome her addiction. She is missed by those who knew and loved her and believed in her potential to overcome the addiction and battle the mental illness of depression and chronic pain that led her down the path to her senseless death.

Anthony didn't use very long, or very often. He started using pills with a girl he was dating. Eventually the pills were too expensive and not enough, so he started shooting heroin and fentanyl. Just one and a half years in, he was in tears over his struggle. Asked for help, but was turned away by the time we found a bed in a detox because he tested negative for heroin and the place wouldn't test for fentanyl. He tried to stay away from it, but he passed away just a few months later.

Joshua kept his struggle hidden, it wasn't until just before he passed away we learned of it.

Melanie began drinking & smoking pot in her junior year of high school. For some it is just a phase, but for Melanie & many like her, it becomes a deadly disease. She quickly moved on to other drugs. At the age of 22, she began smoking crack & lost everything. She worked very hard to get sober, regain custody of her son, & get a job. She did well for awhile but soon fell back into the old habits of going out, drinking, & smoking weed. At some point she tried Oxycontin & was in love which led to heroine. She went to rehab many times but her love of heroine & her need to be high was too strong, nothing seemed to work for any length of time. She could never get ahead of it. She hated the the life she was living, there were overdoses & suicide attempts. She tried Methadone & Suboxone. She was also on many prescription drugs. There was no long term treatment to deal with her addiction & mental health issues. On April 15, 2015 her life ended in a hotel room alone.

She hid her drug use well. It started with gateway drugs and progressed to heroin use. She encountered trauma and abuse. Co-dependency got her kicked out of her 1st treatment center. Her last attempt at rehab ended 5 months prior to her death.

Merrill had an extremely rough childhood and upbringing. This made him put up an emotional block to life, love, and emotions at a very young age. He then turned to drugs which just made everything worse; just trying to numb his pain. With the life that comes with addiction, Merrill began living the life of an addict and doing whatever it took to get his next high. He then was caught at the wrong place wrong time and was arrested and served a 6-year prison bid. Once he was released, we ended up back together, getting a house and pregnant with our first. A few months after Colton was born, no solution, the stress/pressure of a newborn, Merrill relapsed and it all went downhill from there. Again, in and out of jail and constant struggle. After multiple jail and prison sentences, rehab attempts, ODs, hospital visits, a restraining order and divorce, Merrill still struggled with the addiction that resulted in death.

He struggled with various substances throughout most of his adult life in a cyclical pattern. Ending a good period of sobriety in the worst way possible.

It was an up and down battle spanning over more than five years.

Earlier in life, she struggled with alcohol and nicotine addiction. She decided that her children were worth more than that so she decided to make the choice to quit.

Brian became addicted to prescription pain meds after a failed hernia surgery and back surgery. He couldn't slay the dragon and it eventually killed him by accidental overdose at home.

Began 5 years ago following the death of her first child, a stillborn. It began with Xanax and progressed to heroin.

He began using around Oct. 2015 and he went to rehab in May of 2016, after losing one of his best friends to an overdose. He stayed in rehab through Sept 2016 and he relapsed and accidentally overdosed only 3 weeks after he was released from rehab. He had just found another sponsor and was to meet with him for the first time the day after he died. He stated his first sponsor "was too busy to there for him." ?

Stopped playing basketball when he started with opiates in high school. Was in his room all the time. Went to rehabs but insurance didn't let him do the whole 21 days. Never had the help he needed and wanted.

Mike started to experience I think in HS. By his senior year, his life started to spiral out of control & he had his first overdose. In May of his senior year he had another overdose and we sent him to Florida for treatment. He spent 2 years & 2 months in Florida, in & out of treatments. He was in jail twice as well. This disease was just too strong for him to fight. As strong as our love was for him and as strong as he thought he was, it was stronger & took our boy at the young age of 20. ~Forever 20~ Fly high baby boy

Despite all that Justice had and all the love that surrounded her, inside she was battling demons. You see, Justice suffered from depression. She was struggling with feelings of sadness and hopelessness. And that depression and sadness led to misuse of prescription opioid medication and eventually heroin. She tried numerous times to turn this around, but unfortunately we lacked the programs and services that were essential to her recovery. In the end heroin won, and stole my baby from me.