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

My family and I lost someone who was my best friend from birth. Danny was someone who I looked up to my entire life. From the earliest memories to the last, what I first remember is his infectious smile and his desire to make me and everybody happy. He made me laugh the hardest I ever have in my life every time I talked to him, and we shared jokes only the two of us could ever understand, something that comes about from knowing someone from you’re earliest possible memories to the present. He was without a doubt my brother from another mother, and growing up with him in tandem is a thread of memories, events, and experiences that will always make me the person I am, and I will cherish them for the rest of my life. His selflessness to make any stranger he met feel like his friend or close brother or sister always makes me reflect on how I and others should treat anyone in life. Danny always put his heart out first, for you to be comfortable to put yours out to him. Anyone who knew him will understand the magnitude of love he gave to those he came in touch with, even if for a second. My heart is permanently shattered after losing him, and nothing can replace the void that lays there. I have so much to thank him for that the list would never end. Danny was one of most influential voices in helping me decide and pursue what I wanted to do in life, always checking in to give me an air of confidence and encouraged me to never give up, not allowing me to quit my passion when I was down on it. Even if he was going through a rough patch, he still made the effort to give me the light at the end of the tunnel, even if he did not see it for himself. I had the opportunity to visit him in California a few months ago thanks to the support from my family, and the week I spent there reconnecting with him was a blessing and the most emotional time anyone could ever ask for. Seeing him surrounded by a loving community of friends, all lighting up when he would show up stands today as a reflection of the reaction to the news of his passing. A wave of people were touched by Danny in some way during his life, and every single person has been immensely grateful for knowing him and what he brought to their lives. I couldn’t have asked for a better cousin, he was it. There will never be someone like him, and no one could ever take his place. He was one of a kind and will never be forgotten. I know that a part of him will always live on with me. I’m sure that thought would have made him smile. Rest in Peace Danny, I will always love you & miss you, and I will never forget you.
-Aaron

Lora struggled with addiction for many years on and off. She didn't want this terrible hold on her. She tried several times to get help but without insurance and the terrible hold on her from the drugs, she could not get the proper therapy or fight the power heroine. She had a smile that lit up a room and a wonderful sense of humor. Addictions hold on her took the sparkle from her eyes and her inner beauty. Watching her struggle in pain and seeing her become someone I did not know was heart wrenching. The pain of her loss is a constant grieving that has changed me, filling me with emptiness and sorrow. Coping and coming to terms with this pain is a struggle ever day and night. The loss of a beautiful daughter to these demon drugs feels so senseless. I battle with why but there are no answers. I pray she has the peace now she did not have in her time on earth.

I miss him. He was my heart. David tried to get help over and over by medical professionals and they failed him and used him as a guinea pig. Now he's gone and we are all left to pick up the pieces. We must all work to stop this genocide.

Lisa was loved by many. Deep down inside she struggled with self love and she believed that she was not understood or loved. She would numb her feelings with substance use. She needed drugs to feel normal or happy. As time elapsed, she was totally addicted to uppers. This started affecting her work and relationship with friends and family. She made a decision to fight against this disease. But it became a cycle. Affected with shame and stigma, her addiction became stronger than her. But never did she think she would leave this earth. God saw her struggles and called her home. More than 100 friends attended her passing ceremony: Missed forever by her mommy, sister, brother, and niece. She would light up any room with her smile and positive energy.

My son Thad passed away at the age of 22. He lost his battle with heroin on a bitter cold night in November. Alone in his bedroom at his clean and sober living house.
He only used heroin for seven months. During that time he went to rehab two times and used the anti-opiate blocker, Vivitrol, for four of those seven months.
He was a beautiful young man that experienced the world differently. A “raw” sense of it. He felt all of his own feelings, and he felt everyone else's.
He was extremely passionate about the things he loved. From being a little brother to his big sister, a big brother to four younger siblings, and an uncle to a little five year old niece.

School was always a struggle and he graduated high school by the skin of his teeth. During his middle:high school years he found his “people”, especially a young gal by the name of Stephanie. After dating for six years they went in different directions. He was devastated, lost, and broken.
This is when he started using opiates. To “numb” his broken heart.
My son wasn’t a “junkie”. He was not a criminal. He was a beautiful boy with his own story. And he had value.
Rest In Peace Beautiful Boy-I love you and miss you-Mom

Debby was a beautiful soul. She had one child, Alyssa, and she was her whole world. She loved that kid more than life itself. Debby was big into family, she always was there for her family. She and her sister Amy were extremely close, and were best friends. They also shared an addiction. They were very co-dependent, and unfortunately, Debby succumbed to her addiction. She passed away on November 23, 2015, and we miss her terribly. There are no words to express how much I miss my daughter.

Melissa struggled with depression and anxiety as a young child and throughout her life. She sought relief through substances. Even though growing up was difficult, she enjoyed many things in life. She loved animals - especially her cats. She would treat them like dolls and dress them up in doll clothes and play house with them. She loved to ride her bike and scooter and play gymnastics outside in the summer with her neighborhood friends. Our family went to Disney World when she was in 4th grade and she soaked up every bit of Disney that she could. She wore her mickey mouse ears the entire time.
As Melissa got older, the substance use made it harder for her to do the normal things that children do - sports, friends, and school. Melissa had many attempts at sobriety, trying multiple rehabs. She kept trying and showed that she really wanted a different life for herself. In February 2017, she made her last attempt at sobriety and went to live at a sober living house. She had 8 wonderful months of sobriety that included much time with family and friends. I will cherish these times with Melissa forever.

David entered the world on his due date! After a long labor and a little scare with delivery, he was perfect! He was such a happy child! He was inquisitive and reached all of his milestones early. His verbal abilities were astonishing. He loved being a big brother. As he grew up, he continued to be a quick learner and school work came easy to him. His love of music led him to a degree in the production side of the industry. When he was 22 he had a fall and a bad break to his ankle. He needed surgery to repair it. The addiction began with the pain medication. His exposure to Oxycontin began then. Little did I know, this would lead us on a journey to hell. He kept the addiction from us. A phone call and message from his employer exposed the situation. He had missed several days of work, but we were unaware. As soon as he told us what was going on, we secured treatment for him. He actually received 60 days of treatment. After that he went into an Oxford House, which proved to be a disaster for him. His relapse occurred after a few days. This cycle repeated itself over and over. He was an active member of NA and AA. He could go longer periods of sobriety at times, the longest being two years. During that time he returned to school, became a Barber, opened a Barber Shop, and seemed to have conquered the disease! A few months later, he relapsed again. From that point, he never regained more than a couple of months at a time of sobriety. The last year of his life was a constant cycle of relapse. He was so distraught with himself. He lost his battle on July 26, 2015. He finally is at peace. The peace he yearned for.

Nazario was one of a kind. He would give his shirt for anyone. Growing up he was the troubled kid in our family. He lived most of his life in denial with his addiction problems. As his baby sister, I would worry about him but I also looked up to him at one point. After becoming hooked on pain killers from an accident, he moved on to the heaviest thing on earth. Heroine, you took my brothers physical body but you didn’t take away his soul. After his death, I promised him that I would go back to school and do something meaningful. I decided to return to school two weeks after his death and now, almost two years later, I am applying to a medical program this summer. My brother was my hero and I am not ashamed of his death anymore. He had a disease which one day I hope and dream to help others with medically. I hope that I am making you proud somewhere Nazario !

Carter lived life with passion, and loved being around his friends and family. He was a great salesman and could win you over with his charismatic personality and his beautiful blue eyes. After a car accident, he struggled with back pain and quickly became addicted to opioid pain medicine that was prescribed to him. His life became a downward spiral. Entering a long term structured sober living facility gave him four months of peace and hope. Unfortunately, in a moment of weakness, he relapsed, overdosed, and died. A beautiful person’s life cut short by this horrific drug epidemic.

Terry had MS and cardiovascular disease.
He struggled with alcohol, but dealt with it.
He became, like so many nowadays, dependant on opioids to control the pain.
He didn't like them, or the pain of MS and heart failure.
He truly was sick and tired of being sick and tired.
We shared Holy Communion Resurrection Sunday, the day he last came home from the hospital.
He died the next day.
As he left this world, his last words were "I love you Alice, please know I love you Alice! I love you! "
I miss him beyond belief, but I praise God for Him, and I look forward to seeing him again.
God bless you all!

My son never said he wanted to grow up to have an addiction. He hated and despised that part of him. He looked at me with tears and said Mom you just don’t get it...my brain is not wired right. He was my first born. He was a gentle soul who cared deeply for friends and family. He loved doing things for people just to see their faces light up. He was fun to be around. The life of the party. I tell him each and every day how much I miss him. My life will never be the same. EVER

Michael was a happy, sweet little boy. After my divorce, he began to struggle with substance use. He wanted to be a man of God and knew that God was the one that could set him free but he also struggled admitting he had a problem. We don't understand the circumstances surrounding his accident but trust God's plan for deliverance for His child. I am left with a big hole in my heart that will only be healed when I see his beautiful sweet smile again.

Jack struggled with mental health issues his entire life. Unable to find the right help, he turned to self-medicating, which led to the struggle he was unable to overcome. We lost Jack to a heroin overdose in 2014 on Valentine's Day. He will be in my heart forever and what better way to celebrate his life and the love we shared than each and every year on Valentine's Day.

Jack was so full of life, he lived every day with energy to have fun and give everything 110% effort. He was funny, witty, smart, adventurous, fearless, and the list goes on and on. He loved his family and friends to the moon and back. He loved to play cribbage and in his honor our family has created new rules around the Jack of Hearts! He will always be the Jack of my Heart!

While I miss Jack every minute of every single day, I am also thankful that his struggles are over and he is at peace. His passing hurts just as much as having to watch him struggle on a daily basis to fight the demons inside of him.

Rest in peace buddy! I love and miss you so much. Until we meet again...

Sheena had years of sobriety from opiates. She had a very short relapse that ended with her first and fatal overdose. She used to say that she hated heroin but heroin loved her. It was always there calling her name. She was a caretaker and loved taking care of her patients and always treated them with the utmost respect. She loved her son so much, and her son misses his mommy. I miss my daughter so much.

Kent always loved an adrenaline rush. From the time he was five years old, he would always give his mother panic while trying to steal bases in T-ball. He was always a little shy, but truly found the best part of every person he encountered. Kent viewed and felt the world differently. When a friend or sibling was hurting, he hurt just as much. Kent powered every day to try and fight the disease of addiction to better his life not only for himself but for his family as well. As his family, we are not ashamed of the fight he endured to render himself of the disease. We are proud of the kind man he was and how he taught us to understood that while people have their own faults, we are all better than our worst moments.

Patrick was a smart, kind, caring, son, and brother who loved his family with all that he had! Patrick had to work hard at everything he did. He would always be there to help his parents, brother, and grandmother whenever he could!
Patrick was very close to his grandmother who passed when he was estranged from his family for a short time and came home four hours after she passed. That was very difficult for him. Patrick passed because of fentanyl after a relapse.
He will be forever missed but never forgotten! My son’s life mattered!

Ryan struggled with addiction to alcohol from his late teens due to his genetics as well as his insecurities. I feel such guilt for not seeing the signs since when he moved back home to go to school. I said it was only if the drinking stopped. I will never know for sure, but the more I think back, the more I believe he substituted pills for alcohol. He was always insecure no mater how handsome everyone thought he was or how selfless he was. He was kind to everyone and never put himself first. The day before he passed, he had found out he had received a full ride to the University of Redlands in music, which was his passion and something that made his life brighten as well as others. He could talk about music for hours and he taught himself everything by ear. When he passed, he still didn’t read music, it was all by ear. He had a talent from within. I feel the guilt that I should have seen the signs, and the ones I did I ignored, not wanting to think it was that bad. You never want to think your baby is that deep in the same addiction that took your other loved ones. I feel the guilt that maybe the man I married was too hard on him and I should have stepped in. That I will also never know. He also felt that when he passed. All I know, is the world is a dimmer place without my angel in it and I wish it would have been me. He made everything and everyone better when he was around. His friends still come to me about him, they even check on me. I wanted to share this story because we went from one of the closest families I know to a family that, although still close, will always be missing a piece and never feel the same nor be whole again. I pray this can help another family and make them get help. With love, Ryan’s Mum

He fought a good fight and tried really hard to beat his addiction but in the end the drugs won. He left his family and friends to deal with the devastation of his death.