[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 178 (Friday, December 9, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1689-E1691]
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.


              John Richard Page--Gloucester, Massachusetts

       John Richard Page was a blond-haired, blue-eyed boy who 
     loved playing in the woods and catching any critter that 
     crossed his path. He was a ball of energy: curious, 
     adventurous and fast! The kids in the neighborhood called him 
     ``Scrawny Johnny,'' because by the day's end he'd burnt off 
     every calorie consumed--and some. He could be reckless, too. 
     One time he bolted across the street without looking and got 
     bumped by a car. He landed under the bumper just inches from 
     the tires. Another time John was stuck in a tree hanging 
     upside down from one boot.
       As the teenage years rolled in, John started to get in some 
     trouble. It seemed like he was always at the wrong place at 
     the wrong time. He tended to take things to the limit, if he 
     did something he did it all the way. John and his sister 
     fought all of the time at this point.
       When John and his sister stopped showing up at school, a 
     Child In Need of Services (CHINS) action was filed and my 
     mother was told that because she couldn't control her kids 
     they should be placed elsewhere. John's sister was almost 15 
     and ended up living in three different foster homes. John, 
     who was only twelve, was placed in Juvenile Detention Centers 
     around Boston. John quickly learned how to manipulate the 
     system; if he got tired of being there or afraid of a 
     particular social situation, he would act out--say he heard 
     voices or was suicidal--and they would transfer him to a 
     mental hospital and put him on medication. The swing between 
     hospital and detention center went on for about five years.
       When John returned home, little by little his family 
     learned what had happened during his time away. John got in 
     fights that were so severe that he had to have various MRI's 
     to ensure that he didn't have a brain injury. He was abused 
     by the staff. He was treated like a guinea pig at the mental 
     hospital and put on a variety of powerful medications. John's 
     experience changed him forever. He came back furious, 
     distrustful, and reliant upon substances for emotional 
     relief.
       Despite being very bright, John never received his GED and 
     had trouble getting work. He could fix any vehicle or cell 
     phone. He could build with wood but preferred intricate 
     projects that focused on small detail with a lot of parts. 
     His sister thinks that's what John's mind felt like--a mix of 
     gears, buttons, wires, sensors, nuts & bolts constantly being 
     reassembled. He was also a talented artist.
       John found peace while camping in the White Mountains in 
     Lincoln, NH. He also found peace alone in his apartment with 
     heroin. His sister tried everything she could to help him get 
     better. At one point in time, when John was being treated 
     with suboxone, his sister would drive 40 minutes to pick him 
     up and take him to all of his doctor appointments. Sometimes 
     John's girlfriend came along and when she did she always sat 
     up front and answered questions that were directed towards 
     John. When John's sister asked him why he sat in the back, he 
     said, ``Heidi, I just didn't want you to see me this way.''
       John made some attempts to get better. Once he tried to 
     check himself into detox but was turned away because he 
     didn't test positive for heroin. This meant John was 
     injecting pure fentanyl. John and his girlfriend tried to 
     detox together by coming to stay with his sister and her boys 
     after Christmas 2015. She left after one day, but John stayed 
     for 11 days. John wasn't too sick. His sister bought him an 
     assortment of comfort medications and looked up a slew of at-
     home detox ideas. They went tanning. John got a haircut. 
     John's sister did his laundry and bought him a new outfit. 
     Over the course of those days, John apologized often and 
     spent a lot of time hanging out with his nephews. John's 
     sister took tons of pictures during his stay--she was running 
     on hope.
       During that time, John found out that his girlfriend of 
     2\1/2\ years didn't leave just because she wasn't ready to 
     get better, but also because she was seeing someone else--the 
     father of his youngest nephew. John was devastated, although 
     he wouldn't admit it. His sister took him to a court 
     appointment and then to a doctor's appointment. After those 
     appointments, John wanted to go home. His sister thought 
     John's decision was the wrong decision but she couldn't 
     physically restrain him.
       John's sister talked to him on the phone the night John 
     went home as well as the next night. The following night, 
     John made plans to see his ex-girlfriend. John's ex-
     girlfriend called John's sister at midnight but wasn't making 
     any sense. John's sister hung up and dialed 911, where she 
     was transferred to the Marblehead police department who took 
     her information and told her told she would get a call back. 
     A minute later, Detective Brendan Finnegan called John's 
     sister and said six words that haunts her daily: ``I am sorry 
     for your loss.'' John's sister fell to the floor and couldn't 
     speak. Her 7 year old son was still awake. He shut off the 
     oven, grabbed two pot holders and ever so carefully took the 
     banana bread out of the oven. He placed it on top of the 
     stove and sat down next to her on the floor, holding my hand.
       John's sister misses her brother every single day. On some 
     days she is angry, on others she is sad. John's mother is 
     forever broken. John's middle nephew lost his dad the same 
     way three years before ``Uncle Johnny's'' death. When the 
     nephew found out, he punched a hole in the bathroom wall, 
     sobbed uncontrollably, swore, kicked the trash barrel 
     until it broke and when he was exhausted just cried in his 
     mother's arms.
       John's family has used this awful experience to help teach 
     and educate others about how serious this problem is. Their 
     family will never be OK. Losing a loved one has been the 
     hardest thing John's family has ever experienced. John was 33 
     years old when he passed away on January 29, 2016.


                 John M. Perkins, Jr.--Newark, Delaware

       John's mother was thrilled when her first child was a boy. 
     She named him John after his father and grandfather. He was 
     an adorable, active baby who climbed out of his crib early 
     and managed to get into everything. That amazing store of 
     energy never left him; John always pushed to do a little bit 
     better, run faster, jump higher. He did well in school and 
     was the life of the party.
       When John got to college, a series of stressful events lead 
     him to begin experimenting with drugs with friends at ``pill 
     parties'' (various kinds of drugs are tossed into a bowl and 
     taken at random). He began using opiate pain relievers like 
     Percocet and Oxycontin.
       John and his mother had a close relationship and she was 
     shocked when she found out that he was addicted to drugs. 
     ``He was smart and had his whole life ahead of him,'' she 
     said. ``I couldn't believe this was happening to us. I felt 
     scared and alone.'' Liz spent every waking minute trying to 
     get him help and educating herself about the disease of 
     addiction.
       During a period of sobriety, John came home one night upset 
     because someone had hit his parked car. His mother tried to 
     calm him down, but he was inconsolable and went straight to 
     his room. When his mother heard his car pulling out of the 
     driveway minutes later, her stomach sank. The next morning 
     John said, ``Mom, I fucked up again.'' Despite being furious 
     and terrified, his mother held him and told him that she 
     loved him and that he would have to fight addiction for the 
     rest of his life. She was right there with him.
       A few days later, John's mother got a call from John's 
     girlfriend who was in hysterics. She had come home from work 
     and found John unconscious on the bathroom floor. She called 
     911 and an ambulance had taken him to the hospital. Liz and 
     her husband rushed to the ER but it was too late to say 
     goodbye. John was on life support for 36 hours before being 
     pronounced dead on May 5, 2011. He was only 30 years old.
       When Liz lost John, her life lost all of its meaning but 
     her other child and husband helped her to carry on. According 
     to Liz, losing a child to a drug overdose is made all the 
     more difficult because the sympathy that most parents receive 
     after going through such a loss is too often replaced with 
     judgement, accusations, and silence.

[[Page E1690]]

       After losing John, Liz realized she couldn't keep quiet 
     about her experience. In writing John's obituary, his family 
     was open about his struggles with addiction. Liz and her 
     husband played a vital role in the passing of the Good 
     Samaritan Law in Delaware and continue to tell their story 
     and fight to end the epidemic. By sharing their experience, 
     they hope to bring substance abuse into the public 
     consciousness.


                   Mark Allen Perrin--Miami, Florida

       Mark Allen Perrin was born in Miami, Florida and was raised 
     in Fort Lauderdale. When he was born, Mark was a beautiful, 
     curly headed blonde baby boy, with hazel green eyes.
       Mark loved movies. He could tell you all of the actors by 
     name and could imitate their voices and characters. Mark grew 
     up to become quite a character himself. He had the wit of Jim 
     Carrey and Robin Williams combined. Mark was also a people 
     person and could draw anyone in; especially his friends who 
     would always flock to him.
       Mark aspired to be a dancer and he had the moves for it as 
     well. His mother would always tell him he should be on stage, 
     but rather as an actor because he could cry on cue, was a 
     master manipulator, and he had the look for it--every girl 
     would do a double take when they crossed his path.
       On January 19, 2016, Mark died from an accidental heroin 
     overdose. He was just released from jail five days prior 
     after being held for 44 days. Mark went into jail with two 
     oxycodone pills hidden in his boxers. Upon his release he 
     entered a sober house, and ingested those pills. His mother 
     received a call on his first night at the sober house, 
     telling her that she had to go pick Mark up because he tested 
     positive on his drug test. The next morning she picked Mark 
     up and took him to the emergency room.
       Mark had to appear in court as a result. The judge ordered 
     mandatory entry into a drug treatment facility, or he would 
     not be able to have a bail bond. Mark promised to go if his 
     mother let him come home, take a shower, and spend $25 on 
     snacks. Instead, he spent $190 on drugs, without her 
     knowledge. When his mother found out about his drug purchase 
     with her money, she said, ``Mark, this is the last time you 
     will steal from me.'' Well, it was the last time.
       That night his mother felt Mark leaving this earth. She 
     called and called, to no answer. Mark was found at 3 p.m. the 
     next day--face down and stiff in his mother's bathroom.


                  Josh Powell--East Haven, Connecticut

       Josh Powell was an amazing brother, uncle, son, and 
     husband. He excelled at everything he did. In high school, 
     Josh was an exceptional athlete and shined in both football 
     and basketball. He also showed great passion for carpentry 
     and became a master of the craft.
       Josh's struggles began when he first started experimenting 
     with alcohol and marijuana in high school. His 
     experimentation continued through his twenties, but later he 
     managed to straighten himself out. Josh started his own 
     construction company; which became very successful. Josh was 
     adored by all his customers and employees. He would always go 
     out of his way to help anyone in need without any hesitation.
       Josh had to undergo surgery and he was prescribed opiates 
     to help manage the pain. Soon after, his behavior began to 
     change. Josh became secretive and dismissive--a complete 
     stranger.
       Opioids robbed Kelly of her beloved husband. She watched 
     Josh disappear into a world of lies, theft, and desperation; 
     things she didn't think were possible. It broke her heart. On 
     July 18, 2015, Josh lost his battle with opioid addiction. He 
     died from intoxication of heroin laced with fentanyl, just 18 
     months after being prescribed opiates from his surgery. Josh 
     was 37 years old.


                 Justin Michael Pratt--Cherry, Illinois

       Justin was his family's youngest and only son. He was a 
     cute, blonde-haired boy who could make you mad one minute and 
     laugh the next. ``Buddy,'' as he was known to friends and 
     family, enjoyed fishing, snowmobiling, boating, four-wheeling 
     and bonfires.
       On November 11, 2011, Justin died from a heroin overdose. 
     He was 26 years old when a friend found him dead in his 
     apartment. Justin had struggled with addiction for over 10 
     years. He never wanted to talk about how bad it was and 
     distanced himself from his family when he was actively using. 
     His mother believes he had an undiagnosed mental illness, as 
     he often struggled in school and other structured 
     environments. It was due to this struggle that Justin began 
     to self medicate--it was his misguided attempt to cope.
       One of the saddest aspects about Justin's addiction was how 
     it eventually turned him into someone he never wanted to 
     become and whom others didn't want to be around. His family 
     held onto the hope that Justin would defeat his demons 
     someday and go on to live a healthy and fulfilling life. On 
     that fall day when he was found dead, that hope vanished and 
     his family's life changed forever. Justin is missed every 
     minute of everyday!


               Michael Ragone--Charlotte, North Carolina

       Michael Ragone struggled with heroin addiction for over 10 
     years. He died on January 17, 2016, of an accidental overdose 
     in his hometown of Charlotte, NC, while visiting from Phoenix 
     Arizona. He was 30 years old.
       Michael loved fishing, football, poker, jokes, his 
     girlfriend, family and friends. He was hysterically funny--
     his sense of humor was sarcastic and edgy. He used to sing 
     songs in Italian that he had memorized. He could light up a 
     room with his smile and big personality.
       Michael was ashamed of his addiction and always thought he 
     could beat it on his own. One of his last texts to his mother 
     was,
       ``love u 2 Moms . . . Don't let fear control you . . . I 
     know how bad this sounds but I promise I will not make you 
     bury me. I'm going to outlive u.''
       He didn't mean to leave his family. It was an accident. 
     Again, he was lured by a cunning drug that destroys impulse 
     control. Again, he was crushed under the shame and stigma of 
     being addicted. He used alone and died alone.


   James Atticus John-Paul-George & Ringo Ralls--Emmaus, Pennsylvania

       On August 17th, 2014, James Atticus John-Paul-George & 
     Ringo Ralls, died alone in his bedroom of a heroin overdose. 
     On August 16th, he was alive and making an 18 year old's 
     plans: to retake the driver's permit test he had failed the 
     week before, to get a job at the local tavern, and, to find 
     an affordable music studio to record his rap demo.
       Kids in town called him ``Yung G''--short for `Young Gun' 
     or `Young Ganja.' His reputation for extensive drug use was 
     well-earned and paid for with numerous overdoses, drug-
     related injuries and repeated run-ins with the juvenile court 
     system.
       James' problems began when his father was diagnosed with 
     cancer and died just two months later in their home. James 
     was only 10 years old. Their father's death blew the Ralls 
     family apart; James' older stepbrothers scattered and James 
     and his mother moved from New York to Emmaus, Pennsylvania.
       James didn't have any mental health or juvenile delinquency 
     issues in New York, but when we moved to Emmaus he was 
     introduced to marijuana by some older kids in town. At the 
     age of 12, James became the youngest person ever to be 
     expelled from the East Penn School District, where his mother 
     had once graduated with honors. He was caught buying $5 worth 
     of marijuana for a friend at school.
       That same year, James began attending an outpatient drug 
     and alcohol program and seeing a therapist, as well as a 
     psychiatrist, who diagnosed him with PTSD, depression, 
     bipolar disorder (triggered by his depression medication), 
     anxiety and polysubstance dependence. He was repeatedly 
     hospitalized overnight for overdoses on various substances. 
     In the fall of 2011, when James was 15, a sympathetic 
     probation officer helped his mother strong-arm him into a 
     treatment center, with the threat of lock-up if he didn't 
     stay until his counselors felt he was ready to return home.
       This turned out to be a miracle. Within four short months, 
     James went from being immersed in drug culture to someone 
     committed to recovery. He remained enthusiastically, happily 
     sober until July 7, 2012, his late father's birthday, when 
     James was struck in the foot by illegal fireworks that were 
     being shot off at a pool party. The firework blew up in his 
     sneaker and caused 2nd and 3rd degree burns. In the ER, James 
     told the doctors that he had a substance abuse disorder and 
     begged them not to use fentanyl, for fear of relapse. Despite 
     this warning, he was forced to take various pain medications 
     and hypnotic agents while undergoing medical treatment for 
     his foot injury.
       Six weeks after finishing his prescribed round of pain 
     medications, James began to relapse into the abuse of illicit 
     substances, which triggered further arrests, 
     hospitalizations, another week in treatment, which he refused 
     to stay, and in March of 2013, a synthetic acid overdose that 
     landed him in the hospital with facial lacerations (from 
     banging his head against a wall) and a broken collarbone 
     (from a police officer wrestling him into an ambulance).
       Miraculously, James did manage to get sober again, but his 
     will to fight was depleted and he suffered repeated relapses 
     until August 16th, when he and a fellow member of Narcotics 
     Anonymous smoked heroin on the back porch of his mother's 
     home while she was asleep. When his mother went to wake him 
     up the next morning, he was gone--dead in his bed. Less than 
     six months later the other young man died of a heroin 
     overdose as well. His body was found on the bathroom floor of 
     a local hotel.


                  Jennifer Reynolds--Spencer, Indiana

       In January 2009, a Pinellas County Deputy showed up at 
     Sharon Blair's door and delivered the news that her daughter, 
     Jennifer Reynolds, had died of a drug overdose. Jennifer was 
     a bright, fun, and loving individual. She enjoyed 
     cheerleading, speed skating and softball. She was very 
     creative and artistic. Jennifer enjoyed staying current with 
     fashion, hair, makeup and nails. She wanted to be a fashion 
     designer and makeup artist. Jennifer was a delightful sister, 
     daughter, friend and mother to her only son, Trey. As 
     Jennifer battled her Substance Use Disorder, her passion 
     shifted and she desired to help others who were also 
     struggling with the same disease. She felt it takes one who 
     has experienced it, to really know what addiction is all 
     about and help people. Jennifer was very close to her mother 
     and together, they fought a gallant battle to get to the 
     other side of her addiction. However, the day of recovery 
     never came. Sadly, Jennifer died January 15, 2009 in Largo, 
     Florida.

[[Page E1691]]

       Fueled by the pain of her loss and anger over what she felt 
     was a preventable death, Jennifer's mother has spent the past 
     seven years working as a social justice advocate and pushing 
     the Jennifer Act, a bill named after her daughter, that would 
     empower families to help loved ones who are struggling with 
     addiction.
       Jennifer Reynolds had been struggling with an addiction to 
     prescription pills for over a decade before her death. Over 
     the course of that time, Sharon Blair sought the state's help 
     and filed five different petitions under the Marchman Act, 
     which allows for the involuntary treatment of substance 
     abusers for three days. Only one of the petitions was 
     granted, and 72 hours wasn't enough time to help her 
     daughter: According to Sharon, ``Jennifer was dying in front 
     of me.''


            Domenic & Vincent Rosa--Seabrook, New Hampshire

       Domenic and Vincent Rosa were the oldest of six children. 
     They were good sons, brothers, cousins and friends. They both 
     had big hearts and were remarkably compassionate people. They 
     did mixed martial arts, skateboarded, cooked, played ice 
     hockey for many years and taught skating clinics to kids who 
     adored them. They were decent students and most importantly, 
     they were respectful. They both began battling with substance 
     abuse at the age of 14. They would manage to be ``good'' for 
     a while--trying to manage their demons--before falling down 
     again. Both boys eventually lost the fight.
       Their family considers themselves blessed to have known 
     Domenic and Vincent and are grateful for their short stay 
     with them. They both gave their family the guidance to help 
     others.
       After losing his two eldest sons, Chucky Rosa vowed to make 
     a difference through awareness and education. In an effort to 
     reach those who are suffering from addiction or trying to 
     help a loved one, he visits schools and treatment centers to 
     tell his story and educate young audiences about the dangers 
     of substance abuse. If Chucky can save at least one child by 
     sharing his experience of loss, strength and hope, it is all 
     worth it.
       Domenic and Vincent were cremated and their family spread 
     their ashes into the ocean. Now, Chucky wakes up each morning 
     and takes a dip in the sea, regardless of the weather. He 
     starts his day with both of them.


              Jessica Mary Miller--Glenshaw, Pennsylvania

       Jessica Mary Miller died at the age of 31. Jessica 
     struggled with addiction for 15 years and was also afflicted 
     with severe mental illness.
       Jessica died at the hands of her mentally ill boyfriend. 
     She had been in the relationship for only five months and 
     thought she found the ``love'' of her life. Jessica had been 
     doing much better than she had been in the past, and her 
     mother was hopeful she may be ready to overcome her struggles 
     with addiction. But like many women who battle addiction, she 
     desired a partner who would make her feel worthy and wanted. 
     It didn't matter what they looked like, how old they were, or 
     what they provided financially--she just needed assurance 
     from a romantic relationship.
       One night, after Jessica's boyfriend's unemployment check 
     came in, they got into a fight about how the money was going 
     to be spent. Her mother only assumes this was the main 
     argument from the phone call she got from Jessica that night. 
     After they spoke on the phone at approximately 10 PM, the 
     police were at Jessica's mother's door at 5 AM to tell her 
     Jessica had been strangled and was found outside the steps of 
     her apartment. At first, the police told her mother that 
     Jessica died by suicide but the boyfriend was later charged 
     and convicted for murder by strangulation and is now serving 
     25 years in jail.
       Jessica's mother is writing to show that not only drug 
     overdoses are killing our children, but also the fallout of 
     both drug use and mental instability. Not only girlfriends or 
     spouses, but the innocent children who can't fend for 
     themselves when their parents are so engulfed in their 
     addiction.
       It has been three years since Jessica's death and there 
     isn't a day that goes by that her mother doesn't think of 
     her. Many might find this strange, but her mother does not 
     hate the person who took Jessica's life, as he is just as 
     sick as Jessica was. They chose to be together and she knew 
     what he was like, and chose to stay. A mentally healthy 
     person would not put herself in that position. This was not 
     Jessica's only bad romantic relationship, they were all bad, 
     and her addiction drove her from one bad relationship to 
     another.

                          ____________________