How one family used an addiction to the reality of opioid addiction | US news

Kate O'Neill never thought she would be writing her own sister's obituary. But as the family made preparations for the memorial this month, the task fell to O'Neill. Sitting down at a kitchen table, she wrote the story Madelyn Ellen Linsenmeir battled drug addiction.

Linsenmeir, from Burlington, Vermont, was only 30 days old, leaving behind a three-year-old son and a family who wants to honor her by relating the realities of drug addiction.

"It is impossible to capture a person in an obituary, and especially one whose life has been greatly defined by drug addiction," the obituary, which has gone viral, reads. "To some, Maddie was just a junkie – when they saw her addiction they stopped seeing her. And what a loss for them. Because Maddie was hilarious, and warm, and fearless, and resilient. "

Linsenmeir tried OxyContin for the first time at a high school party when she was 16. By 18, she was using heroin.

Living in and out of rehab, losing custody of one's son, and ultimately dying in a hospital while in police custody, Linsenmeir's story is a raw one, felt and known by Americans who struggle with addiction America's opioid crisis.

Interviews with family, friends and Linsenmeir's recovery program mentor a picture of a woman for her kindness, perseverance and honesty.

O'Neill told the Guardian she did not consider writing the obituary any other way "because [the addiction] was a disease ", she said. "Leaving it out would not have been an authentic authoring of her life."

She described Linsenmeir going to jail and not having immediate treatment available. "People are going to jail because they're committing crimes to serve their addiction, and they're going to jail as addicts and not receiving treatment," O'Neill said.

Linsenmeir struggled to stay sober, especially when her Ayden was born in 2014. Sometimes, she succeeded.

When she had ayden, she was really trying to maintain her sobriety so she could parent him. She was strong-willed and resilient, but the disease was stronger than she was, "O'Neill said. Linsenmeir was clean for six months, and lost custody. Then she was clean for another 11 months. Her efforts to be the best mother she could be her by her own mentor.

Jill St Thomas-Benoit knew Linsenmeir for a decade of success in 12-step recovery programs.

"I was so happy to see her shine with her son. She was made to be a mom, "St. Thomas-Benoit said. When Linsenmeir died, she was "crushed, but not surprised. Not because of her character, but because the disease is so cunning and powerful. "

Linsenmeir was dedicated to the 12 steps, with St Thomas-Benoit describing a scenario where she asked her mentor to drive her to police to turn over an exceptional warrant "because she knew it was the right thing to do".

Drug-free for over 15 years, St Thomas-Benoit.

She said that it is used primarily for pharmaceuticals for bread management or recreational use in a party. St Thomas-Benoit calls the opioid crisis to "monster created by big pharma". Of her high school clbad of 1988 in Winthop, Mbadachusetts, 30 people have died from their addictions.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were more than 63,000 overdose deaths in the United States in 2016, a rise of 21% in just one year. One hundred and one of those deaths were in Vermont.

Burlington police department Brandon del Pozo has taken over the task of ending the epidemic to heart opioid.

At 11.30pm, one night after Linsenmeir's death, the Pozo wrote a viral Facebook post reacting to her obituary.

"I have a problem with this obituary," he wrote. "It's a lot better than the rest of us deserve."

Del Pozo told the Guardian that he saw People magazine write about Linsemeir, and it was a tipping point for him that night.

"Why did it take a relative grieving with a good literary sense to get people to pay attention to a time when a million people have already died?" wrote.

He insists that medical protocols to reduce the risks of death are the best solutions to widespread addiction. He suggests giving advice to patients on the subject of drug use, and treating them with other drugs. Burlington-area hospitals and prisons.

Del Pozo and St Thomas-Benoit pointed to Rhode Island's state policies as an example of the right path to combat opioid deaths. The goal is a mbadive effort led by the state, Johns Hopkins University, corrections and other groups cut drug overdose, involving opioid fentanyl by more than 60% since 2016.

More than $ 2m supplemented with addiction treatment for incarcerated addicts. This, Del Pozo said, is the kind of programming that needs to happen across the country.

He and O'Neill both hope the attention to Linsenmeir's obituary should not be in vain.

O'Neill said it was easier to empathize with her sister when she was accompanied by a Facebook picture of her that was taken "at her very best". But she said addiction has many faces, and "some of those faces are ugly".

"Our empathy needs to be extended to everyone with this disease," she said, "calling on people in the healthcare, corrections, and short systems to stop contributing to the shame and stigma" of drug addiction.

In Burlington, Turning Point Center is a place where Linsenmeir sought support services and their mother's recovery program. Her family has asked that in place of flowers, donations be made the facility.

Executive director Gary De Carolis said that because of the impact of her obituary, he has been getting feedback about donations "every few minutes" from people all over the world, as far away as Denmark.

"It's a real face on people," he said. '' Instead of 'this is an addict, this is a junkie' – those stereotypical and stigmatizing labels, you can see the beauty of Maddie 's life and her skills. This has been resonated all over the world. "Turning Point had more than 230 donations as of Thursday afternoon, with more than $ 11,000 raised.