‘This Disease Would Not Let Her Go’: Powerful Obituary Sparks Flood Of Donations To Addiction Treatment Center
“To some, Maddie was just a junkie — when they saw her addiction they stopped seeing her. And what a loss for them. Because Maddie was hilarious, and warm, and fearless, and resilient. She could and would talk to anyone, and when you were in her company you wanted to stay," read the obituary for Madelyn Ellen Linsenmeir, who had struggled with opioid addiction. The words garnered a great deal of attention, putting a human face to the opioid epidemic holding the country in its grip. News on the crisis comes out of Missouri, Ohio, Florida and Virginia, as well.
The Associated Press:
Obituary For Woman With Opioid Addiction Inspires Donations
A powerful obituary for a Vermont woman with opioid addiction has inspired more than 100 donations to a local recovery center from around the country and as far away as Denmark. The family of 30-year-old Madelyn Ellen Linsenmeir posted an obituary for her after she died Oct. 7 that appeared in several newspapers and has been widely shared. (Rathke, 10/17)
The Washington Post:
Madelyn Ellen Linsenmeir: Emotional Obituary Details Decline Into Opioid Addiction
There were 12 unforgettable days. Twelve days at home with her loved ones. Twelve days watching children’s movies and chatting around the dinner table. Twelve days Madelyn Ellen Linsenmeir remained mostly sober after a years-long on-again, off-again relationship with opioids. Twelve days that gave them all hope. “We believed as we always did that she would overcome her disease and make the life for herself we knew she deserved,” a family member wrote. “We believed this until the moment she took her last breath. “But her addiction stalked her and stole her once again. Though we would have paid any ransom to have her back, any price in the world, this disease would not let her go until she was gone.” (Bever, 10/17)
The Hill:
Melania Trump Meets With Families Affected By Opioid Withdrawal In Newborns
First lady Melania Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar on Wednesday met with families affected by neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a condition that afflicts babies exposed to opioids in the womb. The meeting took place in Philadelphia, where Trump and Azar toured a neonatal intensive care unit. (Hellmann, 10/17)
KCUR:
Recovering Addicts Say Rural Missouri's Meth 'Explosion' Is A Warning To The Country
The sharp rise in opioid abuse and fatal overdoses has overshadowed another mounting drug problem: Methamphetamine use is rising across the country. “Usage of methamphetamine nationally is at an all-time high,” says Erik Smith, assistant special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Kansas City office. ...The reasons for that are twofold, he says. The drug is now stronger, and cheaper, than it used to be. Law enforcement agencies say drug cartels are pumping cheap, potent meth from so-called “Mexican super labs” through established heroin and cocaine distribution networks. (Morris, 10/17)
Cincinnati Enquirer:
Is Teen Drug Use Spurred By Parents Using Opioids? Experts Say Yes.
For years, the adults using opioids and dying from overdose have been the spotlight of a public health crisis in the United States.For years to come, their children will take center-stage. They're collateral damage from the prescription painkiller-turned-heroin-turned-fentanyl epidemic. (DeMio, 10/17)
Cincinnati Enquirer:
Experts: Treatment Methods For Teen Drug Use
For the other one: Nine out of 10 teens who use drugs do not get treatment, and that's a problem, experts say. Here are five evidence-based treatment methods to be aware of, should your child develop a substance-use disorder. (DeMio, 10/17)
Health News Florida:
Hillsborough Allocates $13.7M To Fight Opioid Crisis
Hillsborough commissioners on Wednesday voted to spend $13.7 million dollars over the next year to combat opioid addiction. Most of the money will be spent on prevention and treatment but the county has also set aside funding for education and recovery. (Ochoa, 10/17)
Richmond Times-Dispatch:
Second Needle Exchange Program Launches At Richmond Free Clinic With RPD Support
Virginia’s second needle exchange program — an initiative aimed at reducing the risk of spreading bloodborne disease by offering clean needles to injection drug users — was launched in Richmond this week. The Health Brigade, formerly the Fan Free Clinic, is offering what it calls a comprehensive harm-reduction program. (Balch, 10/17)
