[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 181 (Tuesday, November 7, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H8530]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     REMEMBERING JOSHUA RYAN REDNER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share the story of 
Joshua Ryan Redner, a young man from my district in Levittown whose 
tragic story illustrates exactly why we cannot waver in our commitment 
to fighting the opioid epidemic.
  During his final year of high school, Josh was prescribed Percocet to 
treat the pain from a knee injury. His parents, George and Jacqui, 
never imagined that their son, a star athlete, and an excellent student 
who planned to attend the Coast Guard Academy could be dragged down by 
addiction.
  But addiction can impact anyone, Mr. Speaker. Not long after the 
initial prescription, Josh's family noticed changes in his behavior. 
Then, long after Josh's prescription had run dry, George and Jacqui 
were still finding pills in Josh's room. Recognizing the beginning of a 
serious problem, Josh's parents sat him down and Josh committed to 
getting clean.
  Working to get the help he needed, Josh entered rehab. Unfortunately, 
the treatment did not hold and thus began a cycle of relapse, followed 
by stints in rehab. George and Jacqui were shocked to learn that Josh 
eventually moved from OxyContin, which was expensive and hard to find, 
to heroin, which was cheap and easily found--a transition that is all 
too common.

  Tragedy struck the Redner family with the passing of Josh's older 
brother, George. Devastated by the loss of his role model, Josh used 
the power of his grief to get clean and live a life that would have 
made his older brother proud. Josh found a good-paying job, acted as a 
role model for his three younger brothers, and was saving money to buy 
a home.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with a broken heart that I say that this is not 
how Josh's story ended. Josh once again relapsed. Speaking with his 
parents over the phone, Josh assured them that he would be okay and 
asked that they pick him up the next morning. Having no other options, 
George and Jacqui agreed.
  The next morning, George and Jacqui found Josh next to a picture of 
his older brother, George, having lost his battle with addiction.
  In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would like to share with you the words 
that Jacqui shared with me. Her incredible strength is a testament to 
the love she has for her sons. Jacqui said:

       This heroin epidemic affects everyone it touches. It is not 
     going away. It is only getting worse. I don't want any parent 
     to have to bury their child. I should not have had to bury 
     two of mine. If we can together save one more child from 
     going down the same path as our Josh did, then our efforts 
     will be worth it.

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