I am a wife, mother of three sons, and grandmother to three granddaughters and two grandsons. I spent 28 years working in retail before leaving my job to care for two of our grandsons after they lost their parents—their mother to cancer, and our oldest son to a drug overdose. His struggle with substance use deeply affected our family, and his passing changed our lives forever.

During his lifetime, I was often labeled an enabler by my husband and other sons. But through it all, I learned a great deal from my son. After his death, I felt strongly that I wanted to get involved and support other families who are going through similar experiences. This is a difficult road—not just for the person using substances, but also for their parents, siblings, and friends.