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

Eric was more than his addiction. He was a son, brother, nephew, grandchild, cousin, and friend. He was a musician, an intellect, and a young man who wanted to live. Our loss is the worlds loss.

He was my only boy and my middle child. He was bright, creative, and very loving. He loved the outdoors and believed in the good in people.

Tommy's Journey

Although he struggled with depression and addiction for most of his adult life, he always tried to fight his way out of his own internal suffering. Even when he felt like giving up on living, he continued his fight to live.

Except for the very brief but intense relapse that ultimately took his life, Tommy was 18 months free of heroin. At the time of his passing, Tommy had successfully and consistently created a content and meaningful life in recovery from depression and gained freedom from the drugs that enslaved his life. He aspired to become a college graduate and planned on attending college this fall to study horticulture and sustainable agriculture.

Tommy grew up in Lunenburg, MA. As a youth he enjoyed playing hockey, baseball, golf, and especially skateboarding. Most recently, he enjoyed spending time in nature and aspired to attend college in the fall to earn his degree. As a skilled green thumb, he never met a plant that he didn't like and consequently plants loved him right back!

He was dedicated and committed to working on his physical, emotional, and especially his spiritual, well being. He was successfully becoming the change he wanted to see in the world.

He was an avid seeker of knowledge and wisdom. He loved learning about ancient knowledge and all things mystical. He loved and deeply appreciated both art and the artist. He began exploring his own artistic expression.

Tommy was an old soul who was wise beyond his 26 years. He could light up a room with his smile and fill it with the most inspiring energy. Those who knew him understand that he was a warrior, philosopher, and leader.

He embraced his complicated experiences and suffering and utilized them to become happy and healthy. He enjoyed the clarity of mind his strong intellect and spirit thrived on! He shared his experiences to connect and assist loved ones and strangers to heal and cope. He offered kind words and sage advice to help alleviate the suffering of others within their own internal journeys. His motto was to always "Plant the Seed" of love and hope!

Although the devastation and pain of losing Tommy's presence in our lives is a tragedy filled with brutal iron, we will be forever grateful and proud of the profound transformation he had achieved and that he was able to experience a life he felt was worth living for a time. He was more than just a loving son and brother to us. He was our friend and hope. He was truly a Pheonix!

Ryan and I met in 2012, both of us were sober. Ryan had just been released from prison and was living in a halfway house. He was happy to be sober, working and making the necessary changes to better his life. Ryan was an outgoing, funny, loving and compassionate man. His smile would light up the rooms of every place he went. Ryan had a great love for animals, and motorcycles.

If you knew Ryan, you knew him as a man who was always telling jokes and loved to make people laugh.

It wasn't a secret that Ryan was a person who struggled with a substance use disorder, or that his use created legal consequences that put him in prison, taking away 8 years of his life. There wasn't too many that seen the darkness that he kept hidden behind his substance use, the struggle with depression, anxiety and the added guilt for the pain his family had gone through because of his substance use disorder. For me, I knew the feeling of his struggles, because I had been battling my own with substance use, and for that reason I chose not to see Ryan as a person with a "drug problem" but for the person he truly was, a man who was loving, caring, compassionate and made me smile. The stigma that surrounds substance use disorder keeps society from seeing them for who they truly are, someone's loved one, someone's son, daughter, son or daughter.

Everything in life has changed since the day Ryan died. They say in time, the pain gets easier. But almost 3 years later, I am still waiting for the pain to get easier, as it still feels like it was just yesterday that he was taken away. But Ryan made me promise that if anything ever happened to him, that I would not let him be forgotten.

So today, I take the pain and turn it into gratitude for the 5 1/2 years that we shared together, because in those 5 1/2 years, we created some of the most beautiful memories that now have become my treasures.

It is in his honor and loving memory, that I will continue to share his story and advocate in the fight to end the opioid epidemic.

No family deserves to suffer the devastating pain of losing a loved one to an overdose.

R.I.P. My Beautiful Angel.
Love Always,
Anne

It's just too painful to go into. Suffice it to say he was a good person, loved by all. Ian would give his shirt to help someone. He just couldn't seem to help himself. He always had good intentions to stay clean but was easily tempted. Once he was clean, he realized all he had compromised and it was overwhelming for him. I now believe his addiction started with two hand surgeries in two years when he was a senior in high school and first year of college. He had so much potential and just couldn't believe it.

An amazing woman. A beautiful, generous, loving, radiant mom, sister, daughter, aunt, girlfriend, and friend. I miss her every day. Her obituary (below) is loving and factual. Her spirit was - and is - abundant and never ending. Her heart will forever beat in mine!

Lori J. Fresh

Passed away in her home unexpectedly on Tuesday, November 13, 2018, at the age of 45 years. Beloved mother of Justin and Brooke Fresh. Cherished daughter of Susan Joseph (the late Thomas Scharnek) and the late Steve (Shirley) Joseph, treasured twin sister to Lisa Collins (fiancé Rich Young) sister of David (Jeannie) Joseph, Tammy (Steve) Zyduck, the late John Luebbers. Adored aunt of Ben, Jeremy and Melissa Zyduck; Amber (Chet) Kosciolek, David and Dustin Joseph; Palma Collins, Luke Collins, and Trey Young. Lori is also survived by many aunts, uncles, cousins, family members, friends.

Lori was born and raised in Burlington, WI, and was a 1992 graduate of Burlington High School. Afterwards she moved to Florida where she had lived for over 25 years. In that time she earned her graduate certificate in Respiratory Therapy from Pinellas Technical College and also owned her own Medi-spa. In 2015, she returned to Wisconsin to be with her mom and focus on her own personal and physical health. While she battled addiction, each time she fell she always got up and never gave up. She had finally met a great person and best friend who was genuinely showing her the good life while being sober. Lori enjoyed her last months being lifted up, protected, guided, completely adored and loved by her boyfriend, Jeff Plale.

Lori’s mission to make it back to Florida to her children and her twin was a goal she had always used as her strength.

Lindsay Ann struggled with her disease for 10 years. She hated it and hated that she struggled. She was sober for over a year when she relapsed and took a fatal dose. In those 10 years she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. She loved her daughter more than life. As we all know, the disease of addiction will suck you in no matter who you love. I struggle every day with her loss. I miss her with every breath I take.

Jason died from a heroin overdose. He struggled for many years with opioids and then heroin. Through it all he always had so much love for his family and would help anyone. He was all muscle but a mommas boy. A huge teddy bear with the hugs to go with it. He loved his baby girl and wanted to have a family. He is missed so much. ❤️

My son was a wonderful kid. Had a happy childhood, was loved by everyone who knew him. Was a great soccer, hockey, and lacrosse player. Even played college hockey for a short time. That’s when his addiction went too far. Started with a surgery at 15, he said that pain pill was like a lightbulb went off. Best feeling he had ever felt. Never knew he had this issue until a year before he passed. I know he tried to beat this and believe he was starting a few weeks before his death. He was a blessing to everyone who knew him. Was loving, kind, funny, and thoughtful guy. I would say one of the best humans I have ever met. I am honored to be his mom.

Steven was bigger then life...he had a big...kind heart he wore on his sleeve...he traveled with carnivals...he loved his job...he fought this disease since he was about 22 years old...he was clean for five years...going to meetings...speaking at meetings...he loved getting in front of people taking the stage...he had a real gift for making people feel comfortable...he ended up using again after five years clean...he had endocarditis from the heroin and ended up having open heart surgery replacing one of his valves with a metal one...that was in october of 2015...in December of 2016 he was in Miami and found out...on Christmas day...he would have to have another valve replaced from using again....on Jan 1 2017...he took his last hit of heroin...it was laced with fentanyl and carfentanyl...he was put on life support and on Jan 5...I had to make the worst decision of my life...I had to take my first born child and only son off of that damn machine that was breathing for him...he passed over...very peacefully at 5:31 am on Jan 6...Steven has two sisters...2 nephews and 2 nieces...I will miss him forever...

Brandon was one of my middle children (he has a twin sister). He was quite a character, known for his great sense of humor and his self-taught ability to program and fix computers. When he was 13, he was practicing soccer on the field, fell, and shattered his elbow. After emergency surgery to pin the bones together, the doctor started prescribing Oxycontin. I was not aware of the dangers of this drug and when my son ran out of his Rx, the doctor prescribed more and we kept filling it. This went on for a few months. I was naïve to the start of his addiction. I was unaware of his battle and life went on. Everything seemed so bright as he and his twin headed to college together. He loved his independence, learned to cook, made friends, and found a job, but his addiction was escalating. Soon he was injecting heroin and getting in trouble with the law. After his arrest, during his second year of school, he dropped out and eventually moved back home. His addiction was out of control and our family was in complete turmoil. Finally, we sent him to his second detox, rehab, and he did remarkably well. He became very involved in sober living, was productively employed, and eventually he saved money for a car, but most importantly, he was truly happy. For 2-1/2 years, he was clean and content and repaired his relationships with the family. He met a young lady, fell in love, became engaged, and moved out of state. He no longer had a sponsor or meetings, and became isolated. His fiancé became pregnant, but with relapse after relapse the relationship ended months before his baby was born. 2-1/2 months after her birth, gainfully employed and three months clean again, my son relapsed for the last time. The needle he injected had 100% fentanyl. He lost a 13 year battle with a demon, but I won't let this disease define him. He was an amazing man, loved life, sports, the outdoors, but most of all his family. RIH my sweet boy.

My son had traveled around the world. One summer he went to Namibia, Africa, to help children there set up organized sports. It profoundly changed him.
He had no idea of how gorgeous and talented he was. He could cook like no one his age and would often create his own recipes.
He loved his family and animals. Nik loved to make people laugh.
After addiction started robbing him of life, his shame and guilt became even worse. He tried so hard and wanted to live sober. He relapsed, recovered, and repeated. Addiction doesn't care what you want.
I will not let my son be defined by addiction. My heart is broken and the pain is unbearable at times. I will be Nik's warrior and do whatever I can to spread the word, teach, talk, scream about the evils of addiction.
I will never be ok again. He was only 23.

Jeffrey was such a kind, good-hearted soul. He could light up any room with his infectious smile and his blue eyes. Everyone loved being around him.

We miss him every second of every day.

Our son was a bright and shining star who unfortunately struggled with addiction. His struggle did not define him; he was a warm, fun loving person who had a great sense of humor and was always described as hilarious and funny by his family and friends. He had been on a wonderful path of recovery for almost a year and then God saw him struggling and called him home. We will miss his beautiful kind heart and smile. The pain of losing you is unbearable right now but we know you are with your beloved Mamaw and Grammie in heaven.
Rest in peace Marcus. We love you.
Dad and Mom

Ashley was my only daughter and only child. When she was 18 she met the person whom I referred to as Satan himself. He beat her physically and emotionally, he manipulated and lied to her and that is why she is no longer with her family, which includes her daughter and I. She was doing well, clean for 5 years, then he once again got the best of her and on October 6, 2018, I received the phone call that changed mine and her daughter's lives forever. When I look at her baby pictures and pictures of her and I, I think to myself...."did I actually have a daughter??" I have a huge emptiness that is indescribable but then when I look over at my granddaughter I know that she did exist because I now have her, the best part of her. My daughter was smart, beautiful, however suffered from mental illness, Social Anxiety and Severe Bi-Polar Disorder. We would talk about what was going on and how she was feeling (suffering), however she ended up not taking my advice. I know that there was not anything that I could have done to change things, because I did everything possible, however I wish that she would have never met him. The night before she passed away we had a good one. We celebrated her dog, now my dog, Ruby's 1st Birthday with cupcakes and dinner at her home. My granddaughter and granddog came home with me because she had somewhere to go. I would have never had thought it would be the last, kiss...hug... or I Love You between us, but I am grateful that it happened. I guess that's really all I have to say for now besides I continue to Love Her, Miss Her every single day but one thing I also know is that her struggle is over and so is my worry because I know that her and her daughter are both safe.

My daughter Krista filled my world with such joy and fear. The day came when the worst happened. She forever changed me and made me a better person. She left behind a sister, her best buddy, a stepdad, a grandmama, many other relatives, and friends. A world and life that she should be sharing with us today and tomorrow. A crippling anxiety, eating disorder, the disease of addiction all on her shoulders - our most beloved and missed Krista. With all of this she loved, she cared, she laughed, she cried, she tried, she succeeded, she fell, she tried again and again. Her favorite quote from The Little Prince encapsulates her so well, “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly what is essential is invisible to the eye.” Krista, the heart and soul of our family. This is who she was, who she is to us.

Lorenzo was an amazing young man who fought addiction for a long time, beginning at the age of 14. He did start his own business and was striving. He has a beautiful little boy whom he loved with all his heart. That was his true reason for trying to get help. He was sober for about nine months. He had a relapse, which ended up taking his life and taking him away from his loving family. Lorenzo loved helping people out, especially the elderly. He loved to be able to work in his community. He would give you the shirt off his back if that is what you wanted. He was kind and though he did like to try sometimes to stir up trouble, what 24 year old didn't? He will be sorely missed by his parents, his siblings, his nieces and nephews, his grandmother. And most of all by his son, whom we as his grandparents, show his picture and tell him how much his daddy loved him.

I mostly miss giving her big hugs! I loved to cook for her and have her over the house. I miss her interacting with her brothers, which sometimes carried on too far and I would blow a gasket, but I honestly miss it! I don't miss wondering what she was doing or where she was. I don't miss knowing that she was harming herself and couldn't prevent it. I do know from a strong faith in God that she is out of harms way, at peace and with her grandparents in Heaven. I do know that I have an Angle looking over me!