No parent should ever bury their own child. But thanks to a powerful, dangerous drug, it is happening all too often these days.
In March 2017, Sherri Kent was forced to say goodbye to her 22-year-old son, Michael. No matter what she wished she could have done, she was powerless to save her son’s life.
So now, Sherri is hoping that her heartbreaking story can help save other people’s children. In a emotional post on Facebook, she shared a picture of her lying next to her dying son in his hospital bed.
“My son was not an addict. He made a mistake that cost him his life,” she wrote.
On March 21, Michael Kent from British Columbia, Canada died at the tender age of 22. He had his whole life in front of him, but unfortunately, he lost it to fentanyl, a strong opioid that is similar to heroin, but is 50-100 times stronger. The drug is extremely difficult to properly dose, and only a small difference separates the desired effect and an overdose.
According to the Calgary Police Department, Michael’s case is not isolated—the drug kills three to four people die every day in the province of Alberta alone.
Michael’s mother, Sherri, didn’t just direct her message on Facebook to Canadian parents, but to parents anywhere in the world where young people can get fentanyl.
“I just want everyone to know that my son Michael overdosed on fentanyl,” Sherri wrote. “I just want to make everyone aware of the epidemic that’s going on right now that’s killing 5-7 people a day in every city in Canada.”
Michael only needed to try fentanyl once for it to kill him.
He was out running errands when an aquaintance who offered him some “really strong” heroin. First, he turn the man down, but a day later, he decided to take him up on the offer.
The two men took the drug inside a store bathroom. But when the other man saw how Michael reacted to the drug, he got scared and ran from the scene.
Twenty minutes later, the man came to his senses and returned with the shop owner to unlock the bathroom door. Inside, Michael was unconscious and his lips were blue.
“By the time the ambulance got there he was in cardiac arrest,” Sherri told the CBC.
Michael had actually taken fentanyl. He was put on life support and died a week later.
When Michael’s mother realized that her 22-year-old son was going to die, she gave him one last hug.
“They made me a spot on the bed where I could lay with my son and talk to him,” Sherri said. “This is where I told him I was still proud of him.”
It’s probably only a small comfort to Michael’s mom, but her heartbreaking message on Facebook has now been shared more than 110,000 times.
Hopefully, it will help raise awareness about fentanyl and help prevent at least a few overdoses of this dangerous drug.
Michael’s story should not be forgotten. Please share his mother’s message with your friends on Facebook!
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