The heartbreaking obituary of a young mother from Vermont struggling with addiction is gaining attention

A heartbreaking obituary highlighting the opioid addiction that ultimately led to the death of a 30-year-old Vermont mother is attracting attention as the woman's family seeks to raise awareness of the situation.

Family members wrote the poignant obituary of Madelyn Ellen Linsenmeir, who passed away on Sunday, October 7th. It was published in the Burlington Free Press.

"Even if we would have paid the ransom for her, at any price in the world, this disease would not let her go until she was gone," her family wrote. "Our grief at losing her is infinite. And now, she too.

When Linsenmeir – who was also called "Maddie" – was 16 years old, she tried OxyContin on a night out at a high school in Florida, where she attended a school of arts in the United States. scene.

"For some, Maddie was just a junkie – when they saw her addiction, they stopped seeing her. And what a loss for them, "wrote his family. "Because Maddie was hilarious, warm, fearless and resilient. She could and did not want to talk to anyone, and when you were in her company, you wanted to stay.

Linsenmeir gave birth to a son, Ayden, in 2014.

"She turned her life into her mother," wrote her family. "She sang rather than talking to her, filling her life with songs. . . Maddie is striving to stay sober and more relentless than ever. But she relapsed and eventually lost custody of her son, an unbearable loss.

The family that has written in the past two years, Linsenmeir's addiction has worsened, leading her "to places of incredible darkness".

They wrote that Linsenmeir stayed with her family for about two weeks in the summer, during which time she remained essentially sober, letting her family believe that she would overcome her addiction "and would make life for herself. we knew it deserved.

"We believed this until the moment she took her last breath. But his addiction has harassed and stolen it once again, "they wrote.

The members of Linsenmeir's family had the following message: "Know that every breath is a new beginning. . . Know that we believe with all our heart that you can and will do it. It's never too late. "

A service will be held for Linsenmeir on Sunday 21 October at 2 pm at the sanctuary of the First Unitarian Universalist Society on Pearl Street in Burlington, Vermont. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to the Turning Point Center, "a place where Maddie has spent time and felt supported".