The heroin epidemic in the United States is something we talk about a lot in this blog, as it is especially affecting Ohio. Another Ohio family lost a promising child recently to heroin, and in this case the parents decide to frankly address their 18-year-old daughter’s cause of death in her public obituaries, hoping to help other families touched by the drug. Here is an excerpt from a story about the Shuemake family from the Associated Press. We hope you’ll take a moment to read it and click the link below for the full story. And remember– if you’re in the greater Cleveland area and struggling with drug addiction or know someone who is– we may be able to help.
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio (AP) — Confronted with the sudden death of their 18-year-old daughter, Fred and Dorothy McIntosh Shuemake made a defiant decision: they would not worry about any finger-pointing, whispers or family stigma.
They directed the funeral home to begin Alison Shuemake’s obituary by stating flatly that she died “of a heroin overdose.” They aren’t the first grieving American parents to cite heroin in an obituary as such deaths nearly quadrupled nationally over a decade, but it’s rare, even in a southwest Ohio community headed toward another record year in heroin-related deaths.
“There was no hesitation,” Dorothy said. “We’ve seen other deaths when it’s heroin, and the families don’t talk about it because they’re ashamed or they feel guilty. Shame doesn’t matter right now.”