[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E111-E113]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

RECOGNIZING FAMILIES IMPACTED BY THE NATIONAL OPIOID EPIDEMIC

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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 fmd 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.
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

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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. 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.''

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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.''

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