[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 1623-1625]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


     RECOGNIZING FAMILIES IMPACTED BY THE NATIONAL OPIOID EPIDEMIC

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. ANN M. KUSTER

                            of new hampshire

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 1, 2017

  Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to include in 
the Record the personal stories of families from across the country 
that have been impacted 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 
change in Washington and I am proud to preserve their stories.

         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 p.m. to 5 a.m. 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.

              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 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 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 phone at approximately 10 p.m., the 
     police were at Jessica's mother's door at 5 a.m. 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 fall out 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.

              Kent David Charles Edwards--Phoenix, Arizona

       Kent Edwards, 18 years old, died of an accidental 
     prescription drug overdose in 2003. One night during his 
     sophomore year of high school, Kent called his mother to say 
     that he was out with some friends and wasn't coming home that 
     night. He was calling because he didn't want to worry his 
     mother, but when they hung up she knew something was wrong. 
     Kent's mother waited for him when he came home at 6:00 a.m.
       Life changed for the Kent's family that morning. Kent went 
     to the doctor and tested positive for substances. His family 
     restricted and monitored Kent's activities. They made a lot 
     of changes that next year and Kent adjusted fairly well. He 
     transferred schools and graduated with ease. Kent got a job 
     he loved and spent time with his friends and family. His 
     family thought they had dodged the bullet--Kent didn't want 
     to be addicted to drugs so they mistakenly thought they were 
     in the clear. It seemed that all was well, but Kent's family 
     didn't know any better.
       Before Kent turned 18, he was scheduled to have his wisdom 
     teeth removed. His mother filled the prescription before his 
     surgery. As she was looking at the bottles, she noticed that 
     one of them had fewer pills in it than the other. When she 
     confronted Kent about it he admitted to having taken some.
       She asked Kent why and his answer was chilling. He asked 
     his mother to think about a time in her life when she had 
     felt ``Great''--``The Best.'' When she nodded Kent said, 
     ``The first time you get high, it's better than that. It 
     feels so good that you want to feel that way again--only it's 
     physically, chemically impossible.'' He explained how the 
     drugs alter your brain chemistry and why people take more and 
     increase their frequency of use in an attempt to get back to 
     the feeling of that first high.

[[Page 1624]]

       On a Monday in September, 2003, there was a knock on the 
     Kent's family's door and soon they heard the words: ``Your 
     son has died.''
       Kent and two other kids crushed some Oxycontin and washed 
     them down with beer. Kent got sleepy and the other two left. 
     As Kent slept, the drug slowed his respiratory system down 
     until it stopped completely. His roommate found him the next 
     day--already gone.

                    Caleb Smythia--Loudon, Tennessee

       Caleb Smythia, oldest of four, was his mother's biggest fan 
     and the idol of his brother and two sisters. Caleb was a 
     great cook, loved all kinds of music and had a passion for 
     playing the guitar. Music became so much a part of Caleb's 
     life because he found it to be therapeutic.
       Caleb's struggles began at age 16. He went through many 
     rough patches and began abusing methamphetamine. When objects 
     and money kept missing at home, his mother filed an unruly 
     charge against him and Caleb became a child of the state. He 
     spent over a year and a half in three different foster homes 
     and one group home. Unfortunately, Caleb was never placed in 
     a treatment facility, even though he relapsed and tested 
     positive for five different drugs in his system.
       When Caleb eventually went home, he seemed to have his life 
     back on track. After graduating high school, Caleb had hopes 
     of going to culinary school. However, within days after 
     graduating, Caleb returned to his old friends who were 
     abusing methamphetamine and pills.
       Eventually, problems with Caleb were so bad that his mother 
     told him he was no longer welcome in her home. One late night 
     in the pouring rain, Caleb knocked on the door. His mother 
     told Caleb she would take him to the ER or to a treatment 
     facility but he couldn't come into the house. Even though 
     Caleb was at such a low point and begged for help, the ER 
     turned him away.
       Another night Caleb arrived at his mother's door bloodied 
     and broken. Caleb had been beaten and tortured for two hours 
     by eight members of the local college baseball team. One of 
     the players had given Caleb $35 and asked him to get 
     Percocet. Caleb was so deep in his addiction that he kept the 
     money in order to get a fix. To retaliate, the team forced a 
     mutual friend to trick Caleb into another drug deal. When 
     Caleb went to meet the friend, he was abducted, thrown in the 
     back of a truck, and held down by his throat. The baseball 
     team drove Caleb to a field where he was kicked and stomped 
     while curled in a fetal position. Caleb begged for his life 
     and promised to pay them $50 if they let him go. The next 
     day, two of the boys came to Caleb's mother's house to get 
     the money. One of them was holding the same baseball bat they 
     had used to break Caleb's knee the night before. Three of the 
     eight boys were charged and convicted of felony assault for 
     which they received 10 years probation. Caleb refused to 
     testify against his attackers in court because he felt like 
     he deserved the beating.
       The Caleb's family soon moved and everything seemed to be 
     well again. However, Caleb's mother worked two jobs and 
     didn't know that Caleb was getting into his grandmother's 
     pain pills. Caleb went to live 200 miles away with his 
     father. Unfortunately, Caleb wasn't kept safe--his father 
     also had a substance abuse disorder. Caleb overdosed and died 
     on Christmas morning of 2015, after being sold a black market 
     pills that contained fentanyl.

          Michael ``Mike'' James Turner--Norwalk, Connecticut

       So many people think ``drunk'' or ``junkie'' when they see 
     someone suffering from addiction. What they can't see is a 
     person that is stuck in a body they can no longer control.
       Mike Turner suffered from addiction. He was also type I 
     diabetic and had a chiari malformation in his brain. He had a 
     long history of alcohol and drug abuse and in the end, it was 
     heroin that took him. Those were Mike's labels, but that is 
     not who Mike was--the man he was, was an affectionate, 
     exciting and hilarious dad, boyfriend, son, brother, and 
     uncle. He had integrity, he was honest, and charitable. Mike 
     participated in Chiari Malformation Cancer, Autism and 
     Addiction events. He planned on going back to school to 
     become an addiction counselor.
       Mike acknowledged his issues and fought to better himself 
     in the best way he knew how. Mike even went through a 
     parenting course to try to be a better dad. He loved his 
     kiddos--Mike Jr. and Amber--more than anything. He was all 
     about his family and looked forward to weekly Sunday dinners 
     at his mom's house.
       Mike was a funny guy--pretty clumsy and always getting into 
     mischief. He was so positive and encouraged everyone around 
     him in their pursuits. Everyone who knew the real Mike loved 
     him.
       Mike had his demons, however, and he knew that overcoming 
     his addiction was the most important thing. As long as he was 
     using he was useless to his kids, his family, and his job. 
     Mike knew the hurt his addiction caused others and that 
     destroyed him. It devastated his family to witness his hurt 
     and share his pain. Mike tried detoxing and treatment 
     numerous times. He was part of a group called the SNAKES--
     Soldiers Needing Accountability Keeping Each Other Sober in 
     Christ. In April 2016, he graduated from a program with 9 
     months clean.
       On April 22, 2016, just three weeks after his graduation, 
     Mike was living with his girlfriend, Theresa, again: He woke 
     up with a start that morning and said he had low blood sugar. 
     By 8:30 a.m., his sugar was up and he said he was feeling 
     much better.
       Mike's last message to Theresa was at 9:17 a.m.: ``no 
     worries im alive :cP.'' Theresa called him after her meeting 
     around 10:30. He didn't answer so she called again . . . 
     still no answer. She kept trying. Theresa had another meeting 
     that ended around 11:45. She tried calling again and there 
     was still no answer. Fearful that his sugar had dropped too 
     low, she ran home. When Theresa got home around 12:30 p.m., 
     she opened the door and found Mike.
       Mike had relapsed after being 9 months clean. Theresa had 
     no idea that he had been using. He overdosed some time 
     between 9:17 and 10:30 that morning, on April 22, 2016. He 
     was 33 years old.

               Nicholas Wade Branham--Frederick, Maryland

       Nicholas Wade Branham passed away from a heroin overdose on 
     July 15, 2016. He was 30 years old.
       Nicholas was born on December 30, 1985. He struggled with 
     addiction for several years, along with his girlfriend, who 
     preceded him in death on January 16, 2011. It was her passing 
     that helped him to get his life together and to get clean. 
     Nicholas had been sober for almost five years; therefore, his 
     passing was complete shock to me and utterly devastating. He 
     was my son. He was my best friend. He was my everything.
       Nicholas had a passion for tattoos and cooking. He was very 
     sarcastic and funny--he always made me laugh. His family 
     misses his laughter so much. Nicholas had such a kind heart. 
     His mother loves to hear his friends tell stories of how 
     Nicholas would prank them, but more importantly of how he 
     would rescue them in a time of need or just be there for them 
     if they needed someone to talk to.
       ``I really just don't understand any of this,'' writes his 
     mother. ``I hate that this is my son's legacy because he was 
     so much more than that. Nicholas was a good person, a son, a 
     grandson, a nephew, a cousin and a friend. He is so sorely 
     missed. Rest in peace my dear sweet boy.''

              John ``Bubba'' Carter--Pelham, New Hampshire

       John ``Bubba'' Carter died of a drug overdose on July 16, 
     2016.
       Bubba was a sweet young man. He was always looking out for 
     others and putting them above himself. Watching Bubba self-
     destruct was like a heart palpitation that just wouldn't 
     quit. He was one of those people that you only get once in a 
     lifetime; one of those people who changes your life the 
     second they enter it. Their smile lights up your life, and 
     it's something that never fails to make your day one hundred 
     percent better. Bubba will always be that person for his 
     sister--the person who could always make her day better just 
     by being around. Bubba never knew how much he was loved and 
     how many people cared about him. He grew up in a loving home 
     with parents that never kept alcohol or prescription drugs 
     around. His mother is a police officer, who sees the tragedy 
     of what drugs do to families every day on the streets, and 
     his father has been in recovery for 20 plus years; it just 
     goes to show that drug addiction can happen to anyone.
       Bubba started using drugs when he was 13 years old. First 
     it was marijuana and alcohol, and soon after he was 
     introduced to Adderall, Percocet, cocaine, and heroin. His 
     drug addiction took over his life quickly. The times Bubba 
     was strong enough to ask for help, he would. Bubba went to 
     his first treatment facility when he was 15 years old, after 
     he overdosed by mixing adderall and alcohol while at a party 
     in town. ``It was hard to see my mother struggling to get her 
     son back from the drug monsters that controlled him,'' writes 
     Bubba's sister.
       Bubba attempted many times to live a life of sobriety. At 
     16 years old, he entered his second treatment facility, after 
     having high levels of THC that put him into a drug-induced 
     psychosis. After completing this program, Bubba attempted to 
     attend AA and NA meeting regularly but the triggers that 
     surrounding him were too strong. The stigma of drug addiction 
     surrounded him everywhere he went. Bubba encountered people 
     that would attack his sobriety by bringing up his past drug 
     use. This made him feel as if no matter how hard he tried to 
     stay clean Ile was still living in the shadows of his 
     addiction.
       On March 17, 2016, with the help of family and friends, 
     Bubba entered his final detox and treatment facility. After 
     three weeks, he left the facility and returned home. His 
     family learned later on that Bubba maintained a full 30 days 
     of sobriety on his own between March and April. He was very 
     proud of himself. Bubba relapsed in May of 2016.
       Two weeks prior to Bubba's death on June 30, 2016, his 
     entire family, along with some of his friends, attempted an 
     intervention. At the time Bubba was no longer living at home. 
     Although his family kept in contact with him, they had 
     decided to stop enabling him hoping he would choose recovery 
     again.

[[Page 1625]]

     During this intervention the police were also involved and 
     tried to help him, but because Bubba knew all the ``right'' 
     words to say, their hands were tied. They then learned that 
     Bubba had started using heroin intravenously.
       On that same day but before the intervention, Bubba called 
     his sister and ask to meet up to talk. She frequently 
     recorded conversations with him hoping one day she could use 
     them as a strategy to encourage him to stay clean. His sister 
     immediately went to see him. When they met, Bubba spoke about 
     his goals, and how he no longer wanted to live a life that 
     made him feel unworthy to be loved. Bubba didn't want to cry 
     anymore, didn't want to feel hungry because he spent all his 
     money of drugs and didn't want to struggle. That's when his 
     sister noticed the track marks on his arms. ``My heart ached. 
     My face drained in color and I started to shake. I didn't 
     want to see my little brother hurting. Before I drove off, 
     Bubba asked for a hug and said `If I don't see you in two 
     weeks, I want you to know I love you.' But I didn't know two 
     weeks was going to come so soon.''
       Even though Bubba was suffering from addiction, it never 
     stopped him from caring for and loving others; he was always 
     putting people before himself. After his death, his family 
     have had many strangers and friends contact them and told 
     them stories about their interactions with him. Bubba always 
     expressed to his family, that he was an outsider and did not 
     have many friends, but they knew that was his addiction 
     making him believe those lies. As his family saw from the 
     outpour of support from extended family, friends and the 
     community, Bubba was loved beyond measure. They got a letter 
     from a neighbor that said Bubba helped her weed her yard 
     because he saw her struggling to walk with her cane. She 
     didn't know who he was until she saw his obituary in the 
     paper. Another girl told them about how Bubba paid for her 
     coffee in the drive thru and they became close friends and 
     encouraged each other daily.
       ``Addiction is real,'' writes Bubba's sister. ``It is 
     affecting families everyday and making them question if 
     they're going to see their loved ones ever again. It's time 
     for us to unite and break the silence.''
       ``I know that if my brother was here he would tell everyone 
     struggling that it is okay to reach out for help, it doesn't 
     make you weak. You need to associate with people who inspire 
     you, people who challenge you to rise higher, people who make 
     you better. Don't waste your valuable time with people who 
     are not adding to your growth. Your destiny is too 
     important.''
       ``Our brothers and sisters are the first real relationships 
     we have outside of our parents. Bubba was my brother--my 
     first friend and the first person I learned to play with, 
     share with, and laugh with. Bubba was the first person who 
     picked on me, fought with me and taught me forgiveness. A 
     life without him was never in sight. And I think that's the 
     hardest thing to get over.''

                          ____________________