Drug overdose deaths have more than tripled since 1990. Today, the city of Huntsville came together to raise awareness for a very important issue and remember those who have lost their battles with addiction.
The third annual End Heroin walk drew hundreds downtown to Big Spring Park. We met two ladies who came out to support a cause that’s very close to their hearts.
It’s the case for Michaela Phillips, whose son, Robert, lost his battle with addiction two months ago. She and her mother, Barbara Guay, are walking in his memory.
She says, “I lost my son June 3rd. So we’re here just to kind of see what we can do to help and to stop this from happening to other people.”
They say the support they’ve received at the walk is so far beyond what they could imagine.
“They’ve been sweet, absolutely sweet and wonderful. We went and put his picture up on the memory wall, and one of the girls came over and prayed and they hug you… Because for us it’s very fresh, it’s been a little over two months. So they’re just very kind, very supportive,” says Phillips.
Not One More Alabama and the Addiction Prevention Coalition put together this walk to support to those impacted by addiction, celebrate those who have recovered and remember those who have been lost.
Barbara Guay says today is all for her grandson, and hopes that walks like these will bring awareness to the community, and help remove the stigma that is often placed on those who battle addiction.
She says, “It is a very tightly held secret. People are very embarrassed by it. And you can not heal and you can’t get help if you can’t talk about it.”