[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 178 (Friday, December 9, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1676-E1678]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     RECOGNIZING FAMILIES AFFECTED BY THE NATIONAL OPIOID EPIDEMIC

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ANN M. KUSTER

                            of new hampshire

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 8, 2016

  Ms. KUSTER. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to include in the Record 
today the personal stories of families from across the country that 
have been affected by the opioid and heroin epidemic. In the U.S. we 
lose 129 lives per day to opioid and heroin overdose. In my home state 
of New Hampshire I have learned so many heartbreaking stories of great 
people and families who have suffered from the effects of substance use 
disorder.
  Earlier this year, my colleagues and I were joined by many of these 
courageous families who came to Washington to share their stories with 
Members of Congress and push for action that will prevent overdoses and 
save lives. Since then, we passed both the Comprehensive Addiction and 
Recovery Act and the 21st Century Cures Act to provide much needed 
funding and critical policy changes to fight this epidemic.
  The advocacy of these families truly is so important to leading to 
change in Washington and I am proud to preserve their stories.


                  Justen Hummel--Louisville, Kentucky

       Justen Hummel passed away on August 9, 2014. Justen was a 
     very compassionate and loving son. He was dedicated to his 
     family and friends; always making the time to help whenever 
     it was needed.
       Justen could strike up a conversation and befriend anyone 
     he met; therefore, he never met a stranger. When Justen was 
     just a little boy, he discovered a passion for fishing. You 
     would always see him carrying around his pole to fish 
     anywhere that there was a body of water. Justen was also very 
     intelligent and had a creative mind--always thinking and 
     eager to create something new.
       After having to undergo surgery for a Methicillin-resistant 
     Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection, Justen was prescribed 
     liquid morphine to combat the pain. Consequently, Justen's 
     drug use escalated to a new level, and he later transitioned 
     to heroin as an alternative.
       His mother could see Justen struggling so much to overcome 
     his battle with addiction. It totally broke her heart. She 
     tried so hard to help him. Justen is so dearly missed.


                  Ryan Wayne Jackson--Owensville, Ohio

       Ryan Wayne Jackson was born on December 6, 1987. Growing 
     up, Ryan was a spirited child--always doing something and 
     always on the go. He enjoyed collecting things and had 
     several collections of anything and everything.
       Despite being diagnosed with ADHD, Ryan was a tremendous 
     student in school; receiving A's and B's with perfect 
     attendance until the 6th grade. Ryan also set a couple 
     athletic records in elementary school, which are still held 
     by him today.
       Middle school was when things started to change for Ryan. 
     He tried out for the basketball team but didn't make it; this 
     was a major blow for him. In addition, Ryan had a few other 
     issues that began to arise. He was prescribed medication for 
     his ADHD and his classmates started asking to buy his 
     medicine from him. This was also around the time Ryan first 
     tried marijuana.
       Ryan later received his degree as a mechanic. Around ten 
     years ago Ryan was in a serious traffic accident, causing him 
     significant pain in his back. Afterwards he was prescribed 
     medication to help with the pain. For some time, Ryan seemed 
     to do fairly well managing the pain without medication.
       About seven years ago, Ryan started dating someone he 
     previously went to school with--this was the beginning of the 
     end for him. The couple had two little girls. During this 
     time Ryan lost custody of his stepson to the boy's father, 
     and later lost his own father tragically. Ryan's life was 
     spiraling out of control. He lost his jobs, his cars, his

[[Page E1677]]

     house--essentially everything he owned. In the end, Ryan was 
     homeless and in trouble with the law.
       Ryan tried to get back into his daughters' lives and was 30 
     days clean. He was working full time and was in the process 
     of going to see a counselor.
       The night Ryan overdosed it was his payday; the temptation 
     was too great for him to suppress. On May 6, 2016, Ryan's 
     grandmother found him unresponsive at 8 a.m.
       Ryan had a gigantic heart. He loved hard and fully. Ryan 
     had a beautiful smile, a contagious laugh, and was a hard 
     worker. Ryan always loved his family. His family miss him 
     deeply.


                Kevin Alan Johnson--Bloomington, Indiana

       Kevin entered this world on March 20, 1983. Growing up, 
     Kevin was always on the go. He was a great student. School 
     was easy for him, yet Kevin never seemed to find what it was 
     he was meant to do with his life. Kevin was the kind of 
     person who never saw a stranger--he could make anyone feel 
     comfortable in any circumstance. He was caring, compassionate 
     and had the biggest heart. Kevin would have done anything for 
     anyone. He was intelligent, much too intelligent to have died 
     this way.
       Kevin was a fun-loving big guy, with a wonderful smile, and 
     who loved his family and friends. It didn't matter who you 
     were, when Kevin would leave he would gave you a big hug. He 
     loved music, reading, playing video games, and cooking; he 
     could make the most delicious meals. Kevin loved the 
     outdoors, especially camping and spending time around 
     campfires with his family and friends.
       His mother knew that Kevin experimented with drugs in high 
     school, maybe as early as middle school. She thought it was 
     behavior that he would outgrow of; never realizing how far it 
     had gone and what a hold it had on him. Kevin suffered 
     terrible back pain from two failed surgeries and was due for 
     a third--all at the young age of 25. It was after Kevin's 
     first surgery that brought the beginning of his drug abuse; 
     which spiraled from there with each attempt to find something 
     that would relieve the pain, but Kevin could not find any 
     peace. When speaking with Kevin once about his addiction, he 
     told his mother-that he did not feel normal without the 
     drugs; he could not function.
       What Kevin loved the most in life was his son. He was in 
     awe that he had created such a beautiful little person. He 
     was Kevin's world, his reason to get up every day and try 
     again. This sweet little boy who will never know how much his 
     daddy loved him, how hard he tried for him. For if Kevin only 
     knew he would never have left him.
       Kevin died October 9, 2008, of an accidental overdose. 
     Earlier that evening he had attended a Narcotics Anonymous 
     meeting. His family's lives were forever changed. They think 
     of Kevin and miss him every day.


                  Phillip Keene--Cedar Bluff, Virginia

       Samantha Keene lost her husband, Phillip, on August 22, 
     2015 to an accidental Fentanyl overdose; eight days after his 
     42nd birthday, two weeks after their daughter's third 
     birthday, and a month after their last wedding anniversary. 
     Their nine year old son found Phillip in his office, face 
     down. When he came and told Samantha, ``Mom, Dad is sleeping 
     in the floor,'' she knew exactly what had happened. He 
     thought Phillip was sleeping because of that sounds he was 
     making--it sounds like snoring.
       Phillip left Samantha with three kids ages nine, six, and 
     three, with another on the way. She was 12 weeks pregnant at 
     the time but had a miscarriage two weeks later. Samantha's 
     world has been turned inside out. It's like I'm fighting to 
     get out of a water filled balloon but there is no way out. 
     Phillip was a news reporter and had worked for the paper for 
     ten years. No one knew Phillip had relapsed--not his mom, his 
     boss, the county supervisors that he talked to regularly, the 
     many people at the courthouse that he saw on a daily basis. 
     No one knew but his wife.
       ``I deal with the guilt of not doing enough before it was 
     too late. Even in his last moments, did I do enough? Yes I 
     did. I couldn't save him. I could not save the man I loved. 
     My husband. My Protector.''


                    Zafer Kiesa--Arlington, Virginia

       Zafer Kiesa died on April 13, 2016, from an accidental 
     heroin overdose. He was 19 years old--just months away from 
     his 20th birthday. Zafer, affectionately know as ``Z,'' was a 
     beloved son, brother to three siblings, and friend to many.
       Z was a sophomore at the University of Colorado, where he 
     was known as an adventurer, traveler and explorer, who sought 
     out thrills whenever possible. He was an avid tennis player 
     and loved to skateboard, hike, kayak, and follow his favorite 
     sports teams. He liked to begin where the chair lift ended--
     he'd carry his skis higher up the mountain in search of an 
     untouched backcountry run. Many of his finest selfies come 
     from his treasured mountain explorations in Colorado.
       Z was the ``connector'' in his family; he always made sure 
     to reach out after going too long without checking in. It was 
     second nature to him to send a text, email, or even a 
     handwritten note just to remind people that he cared. We used 
     to joke that Z paid more attention grooming his emails to 
     Grandma than he did on his papers for school. On the night of 
     April 13th, Z tried heroin. He bought it for $7.00 a hit. Z 
     went to sleep and never woke up. His family's pain, shock and 
     grief upon losing Z is one story among many that evidence the 
     public health crisis facing this country. Heroin use has more 
     than doubled among young adults in the past decade.
       Even though the lives of his family have been forever 
     changed by Zafer's death, his spirit and energy will live on 
     within each of them and through the good they contribute to 
     this world. Their hope is that by sharing Zafer's story, and 
     telling the truth about his death, they may be able to save 
     another life.


                       Jeff Klik--Utica, Michigan

       Jeff Klik was a beautiful boy: sweet, kind, loving, smart, 
     artistic, talented. He loved making music, snowboarding and 
     developing his own photographs. Jeff was a smart child and 
     learned quickly. At the same time, he was sensitive and had a 
     way with others. He always seemed to befriend the kids in 
     school that no one else would talk to.
       Like many of us, Jeff made some bad choices. When he chose 
     heroin, his love for life disappeared. Jeff's mother found 
     marijuana in his room when he was mid-high school. At the 
     time she had no idea that this would start their family down 
     the ugly road that was to come.
       Jeff was enrolled in an accelerated program for high-
     achievers in high school. When his grades started dropping he 
     told his mother, it was ``just too hard'' for him. Therefore, 
     he dropped out of the program, graduated and headed off to 
     college.
       As Jeff's first year away from home went by, his grades 
     dropped and the things he said weren't adding up. Something 
     was wrong. One day, his mother got a call at the hospital 
     where she work, saying that Jeff was downstairs. Panicking, 
     she ran down to the ER. Car accident? Appendicitis? No--a 
     drug overdose.
       As Jeff came out of his drugged stupor, he said ``I want to 
     kill myself.'' He was then admitted to a local mental 
     hospital. The two weeks he spent there were a nightmare--he 
     worked the system expertly. At a counseling session he threw 
     a chair against a wall. He didn't cooperate. They put him on 
     antipsychotic medication. He didn't follow the rules when he 
     came home either, and eventually his mother kicked him out 
     because the situation became dangerous for everyone under 
     that roof.
       Jeff overdosed again but his mother didn't know about it 
     until she got the ambulance bills. He came to live with his 
     mother again, and seemed to be doing better. He was going to 
     outpatient counseling daily and his mother thought--``Hey, 
     it's finally working!''--before things started to get bad 
     again. Jeff's behavior was erratic, he wasn't doing any of 
     his favorite activities anymore and he always ``had to 
     work.''
       He signed himself into a treatment center but got kicked 
     out the next day for smoking a cigarette. It was New Year's 
     Eve. He missed Easter dinner, a movie date, his Grandma's 
     birthday, etc. His mother went to see him at work once and he 
     was in the bathroom for a long time. When he walked out he 
     looked sick--his face was pale and broken out, his eyes were 
     glassy. After giving Jeff a drug test, that lit up like a 
     Christmas tree, his dad set an ultimatum: ``it's either rehab 
     or you're out of this house.'' Jeff admitted himself to 
     treatment again. It was April 4, 2015.
       After getting through detox Jeff was doing well. On April 
     21st, he was discharged--clean and happy--to a sober living 
     house close to home. On April 29th, Jeff didn't show up for 
     work and when his Dad went to the house looking for him, he 
     found his son--dead. All of Jeff's beloved cameras were found 
     in a local pawn shop. My Jeff died of an overdose of Heroin/
     Fentanyl.


                 Todd Lescarbeau--Saint Paul, Minnesota

       Todd Lescarbeau is and always will be his sister's big 
     brother, best friend for 40 years, protector, confidant, and 
     so much more.
       On January 3, 1970, the sun rose, and Todd graced the world 
     with his presence. Todd always lived his life to the fullest, 
     with no fears and few regrets, until the sun set for him and 
     all who loved him on March 6, 2012.
       Todd was a fun, loving, protective and gentle father, 
     brother, son, husband, uncle, nephew, cousin and friend to 
     all that were lucky enough to know him. His addiction began 
     like so many others--with prescription drugs. Todd suffered 
     from severe back problems and was prescribed opioids for the 
     extreme pain he endured. His back issues led to various 
     surgeries over the years, and unfortunately none of them were 
     able to cure his back problems or completely remove the pain.
       Todd was a hard working man with integrity, loyalty, and a 
     ton of love to give. Todd was well known at a very young age 
     as an outstanding drummer. Although he spent countless hours 
     practicing the drums, it was obvious to everyone that Todd 
     was a natural. Drumming and music were two of his biggest 
     passions in life.
       Everyone who loved Todd will never forget the impact he had 
     on them and the world. He fought very hard to overcome his 
     addiction, spending time in quite a few various treatment 
     programs. Unfortunately, most insurance companies only allow 
     up to 30 days of treatment which was an insufficient amount 
     for Todd's case.
       Todd's struggle with the disease of addiction is what 
     ultimately claimed his life. Life will never be the same 
     without him here--his family miss him every minute of every 
     day.


               Jameson Tanner Lindemann--Laramie, Wyoming

       Jameson Tanner Lindemann, also known as ``J.T.,'' was born 
     on January 14, 1985.

[[Page E1678]]

     From the moment he was born, J.T. had a twinkle in his eye 
     that let everyone know: ``Look out world, get ready for me!'' 
     Growing up, J.T. loved little league baseball and was a 
     pretty good player. He would hit home runs and then casually 
     run all the bases--it seemed much more important to him to 
     have fun than being seriously competitive about the game.
       School was much the same way for J.T.. He would use his 
     smile and eyes to talk his way out of doing homework, but 
     somehow managed to remain the teacher's favorite.
       J.T. was a talented musician, singer, songwriter. He taught 
     himself how to play the drums and guitar. Composing lyrics 
     came naturally to him and was always writing new verses or 
     ideas down on fast food napkins and scraps of paper.
       You could always find J.T. sitting outside singing and 
     playing his guitar, playing his drums in the basement, or 
     jamming at friends' homes and local music stores.
       After about a year of struggling with addiction, J.T.'s 
     body could no longer handle the abuse, shame and sadness. He 
     passed on September 13, 2007. As J.T. continues his new 
     adventure, he is greatly missed by family and friends and 
     will be remembered by all who knew him as a free spirit; the 
     spark that lit up a room with his smile and fun loving ways, 
     a loving son and brother, caring father, and a friend and 
     helper to all who were lucky enough to be touched by his 
     life.


               Richard Thomas Long, Jr.--Canton, Illinois

       Richard was his mother's firstborn and only son, born on 
     February 22, 1986. He was known to many as ``Jr.'' and 
     ``Duney.'' Jr. was smart and a computer buff. Growing up in 
     Canton, Illinois, he enjoyed listening to metal music, 
     mastering video games, fishing, swimming, and teasing Ms 
     younger sister, Jessica.
       Jr. loved spending time with his family; he had two boys, 
     Ethan (age 13) and Sabestian (age 2). They were his pride and 
     joy. He absolutely loved watching Ethan play baseball.
       Jr. started using drugs in high school and battled an 
     opiate addiction from that time until his death. Richard 
     Thomas Long Jr. lost his 13-year battle to opiate addiction 
     on February 8, 2015.


                     April Louis--Bumpass, Virginia

       April was a loving soul with a huge heart. She was drawn to 
     and good at helping others but she just didn't know how to 
     help herself. April's smile lit up any room and her bubbly 
     laughter was sweet music to her mother's ears. The happiest 
     day of April's life was when her daughter was born. April had 
     been told that she wouldn't be able to have children and when 
     she found out she was pregnant, her mother hoped April would 
     finally be encouraged to get help for her substance use 
     disorder. Unfortunately, April's daughter was born addicted 
     to drugs and had to been weaned off with medication. To 
     protect her grandaughter, April's mother had to take her 
     granddaughter away from her own daughter. April loved her 
     little girl, but heroin loved April more.
       April battled addiction for over seven years. During that 
     time, she was in and out of treatment facilities, drug 
     courts, and jail. Sadly, April spent the last 18 months of 
     her life incarcerated. When she came home, she seemed 
     determined and positive about her life to come.
       For the first time in many years April's mother had hope, 
     faith, and trust in her daughter. She also wasn't afraid 
     anymore when her phone rang. But just three weeks after April 
     was released from jail, April's mother got that phone call, 
     the one call parents fear the most--April had died from an 
     overdose of pure fentanyl and was found on the floor of the 
     bedroom at her grandmother's house.
       April died on March 12, 2014. She was 30 years old and her 
     daughter she left behind was only four. The hardest thing 
     April's mother ever had to do was to tell a four-year-old 
     that her mommy had died and what that meant. April's mother 
     loves and misses her beautiful daughter every day. Her whole 
     family misses April and they will for the rest of their 
     lives.


         Kevin ``Kev'' Carotenuto--Prospect Park, Pennsylvania

       Kevin ``Kev'' Carotenuto was born on May 3, 1993. By the 
     time Kevin got to middle school, he was a talented athlete 
     and very involved in sports, however, school just didn't 
     click for him. Kev started showing signs of ADHD very early 
     on. His mother tried to get him an Individualized Education 
     Program (IEP) but was denied, so she put him in counseling. 
     Kev turned to drugs to cope with the stress of his struggles.
       Kev was arrested shortly after his 18th birthday for 
     robbery of three houses in his family's neighborhood. He 
     didn't commit the crimes alone, but wouldn't snitch on his 
     friends. He received an 18 month sentence in county prison 
     and $30,000 in restitution. Both Kevin's parents visited him 
     and put money on his books the entire time he was in prison.
       Six months after his release, Kev started using heroin. He 
     was in and out of countless treatment facilities until he was 
     sent back to jail in February of 2015. Kev was caught using 
     heroin in a public bathroom and was arrested for violating 
     probation. He was sentenced to seven months in county jail.
       Kev was released the Monday before Thanksgiving to a local 
     halfway house. He was put on blackout for seven days and then 
     was allowed to go out for four hours at a time. Kevin worked 
     for the newspaper union as an extra so he would call in daily 
     for work. The Thursday after Thanksgiving Kevin was booked 
     for an 11 pm to 5 am shift.
       Kev told the halfway house that he had work but proceeded 
     to contact a cellie from jail who came to pick him up. When 
     Kev arrived back at the halfway house he tested hot for 
     suboxone. He was kicked out immediately and the halfway house 
     never notified his family. Kevin was on the streets for a 
     week before he came clean with his mother.
       Kev said it was time for him to be a man and he would get 
     himself to rehab. He was approved for 26 days of treatment. 
     Seven days before his release, Kev's mother requested a 
     family meeting with his counselor. The counselor informed her 
     that on Monday the aftercare specialist was going to have a 
     conference call between Kev, herself and the counselor. 
     Monday came and went and no call, so Kev's mother started 
     leaving messages with the counselor. She called everyday and 
     left messages--no response.
       January 7, 2016, came around and Kev said, ``Ma, come get 
     me, I got my coin.'' Off she went to pick him up. He came 
     home so happy and ready to stay clean. He went to probation 
     the next day where he asked the probation officer (PO) to see 
     him twice a week to keep him honest, which the PO did for one 
     week. The following week the PO told Kev he didn't have time 
     to see him so often. The PO ordered Kev to complete IOP, so 
     on January 8th he called and was told the first opening was 
     22 days away. Kevin went 22 days with no treatment except for 
     NA meetings and a bible study group of men in recovery.
       On the 29th of January Kev went to IOP for his evaluation 
     and when he came out he said, ``All good, my first session is 
     on February 1st.'' On February 1st Kev's mother woke up and 
     went into Kev's room and found him sitting on the side of the 
     bed with his head in his hands and his hoodie on. She said 
     his name two times and got no response. She then called 911. 
     When she went to touch Kevin's shoulder, his stiff body fell 
     to the floor. His mother saw the needle 1/2 full of clear 
     liquid. She went to move his hoodie to get to his neck to 
     check his pulse and all she saw was the side of his face--
     purple and cold. He was dead. A mother's worst fear comes 
     true.
       Kev passed away on February 2, 2016, from an overdose of 
     poisoned heroin.

                          ____________________