HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) – Increasing fentanyl overdose deaths are hurting families across the United States and Tennessee Valley. It’s a somber reminder of how available the drug has become to young people in recent years.
“It only takes one time. Once they can die,” said Becky Joiner. “Once… they can be addicted for the rest of their life.”
“One pill will kill. Fentanyl will kill,” said Valarie Miller. “It could be your mom. It could be your dad. It could be your brother, your sister. I just wish there was more that the community could do to stop this.”
Two mothers in North Alabama are on a mission. Their goal is to end the opioid crisis that took the lives of their daughters.
According to Miller, her eldest daughter had been living in a halfway house in Decatur, but she was found in Birmingham. Five years later, her youngest daughter, Kelsey, died from a fentanyl-related overdose.
“Kelsey passed away on January 6 of this year, 2023,” said Miller. “I tried. I tried so hard to save her life. I mean, she was in and out of rehab at least five times. She just couldn’t get away from the demon.”
Becky Joiner, a mother who lives in New Market, has a similar story. In Sept. 2017, she found her daughter, Kristin, on the bathroom floor. Joiner says her daughter’s addiction started with pain medication and eventually led to heroin. She believes fentanyl-laced heroin killed her.
“I went to grab the door, and the door handle was locked. And I knew then ‘cause we don’t lock doors,” said Joiner. “I didn’t see her face. Her hair was covering it, but I did see her hand, and it was blue.”
The mothers are raising awareness of the fentanyl crisis and hoping to make a difference through Rachel’s Angels billboards.
“I got in contact with [Rachel’s Angels] because I wanted to get the word out that fentanyl kills, and I wanted faces that I knew on this billboard,” said Miller. “I just think that it’s so bad here in Huntsville and Madison.”
Rachel’s Angels was founded by an Ohio woman named Cindy DeMaio. She also lost her 17-year-old daughter, Rachel, to fentanyl.
“I started Rachel’s Angels the day she passed away because I was just in complete shock that the Narcan didn’t work,” said DeMaio. “When the paramedics came here, she died in my arms. There was no reviving her.”
“My billboard says fentanyl steals families, steals daughters, and then, you can go to my website and learn what fentanyl is,” said DeMaio.
One billboard sits on Highway 72 in Madison, and it shows the faces of people who have died from fentanyl in North Alabama, including the daughters of Valarie and Becky.
“It needs to be out there, and people need to know that they don’t need to be ashamed of whatever is, you know, going on with their loved one. And they need to seek help for them if that’s possible,” said Joiner. “Of course, the addict has to be the one that wants it, but the addict also needs to know that you’re willing to help them do whatever that they need to do.”
“These kids were beautiful. All these kids on this billboard are beautiful,” said Miller. “Drugs do not discriminate at all.”
If you’re interested in getting your family member’s face on the billboard, contact Miller via email at valmiller68@yahoo.com. The billboards stay up for about four to six weeks. It’ll cost about $100 to $125 dollars per angel; however, the mothers are working to make this free for families who have lost loved ones to fentanyl.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, if you think someone is overdosing, follow these steps:
- Call 911 immediately.
- If available, administer Nalaxone (also known as Narcan).
- Try to keep the person awake and breathing.
- Lay the person on their side to prevent choking.
- Stay with the person until emergency assistance arrives.
Source: WAFF
