THE REASON WE WALK
On July 19, 2018 at 10 o’clock at night, I received a call that would forever change my life, except I was sleeping. Unaware of what the following morning would bring. I woke up that next morning and did my normal routine, got dressed and got everything ready for work. On my way into work, I received a text message that my brother had OD’d and was in ICU. The world stopped moving at that point. I completely lost it. I rushed to the hospital only to find my brother on life support, a shell of the person he once was. He had lost oxygen to his brain for several minutes and although he had a heartbeat, the doctors doubted there was any brain function. My brother had been clean for weeks. He was working hard as always and trying to stay on the straight and narrow. That day the addiction just crept in and stole him for the last time. We as a family had hoped for a miracle, praying that we would show up at the hospital and he would be there all cheery and goofy and well, alive. That miracle never came. On July 21, 2 days after overdosing my brother went into cardiac arrest and died. I don’t hide behind his addiction. I want to bring awareness, I don’t want anyone to ever go through what my family went through. I don’t want him to be forgotten. This is why I walk, this is why WE walk.
“God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference. “