ISBN: 1-59800-699-1

Publisher: Outskirts Press 

How would you cope with the news your son or daughter is dead due to drug addiction? It is a thing that is hard to imagine but as more and more young adults are dying due to addiction now is the time to realise it could happen to someone you know.

You may think it won’t happen to your sons or daughters because they are kind, decent human beings. Bad kids do drugs not the good ones….right? Wrong. As this shows, many good, kind-hearted people are tempted by the unforgiving tentacles of drugs that grab them and don’t let go.

This is such a touching, deep book you have to be made of stone not to be moved immensely by the tales of parents who recall their children’s last few moments of life as addiction slowly killed them.

I found myself looking at the “Faces of Addiction” on the front cover with a tear in my eye. All of these young faces are now gone from this world forever due to drugs. I was moved so much by just looking at these young people and understanding that they are dead. Gone.

 “My son was really dead. Words once incomprehensible to me. My world, now shattered, came to a complete, sudden halt.   Michael died from cocaine/heroin overdose at the age of 23.” speaks loving mom Carol of her now deceased son, Michael Digiantommaso.  These words moved me immensely. Do they you? Or perhaps the touching letter written by Mike’s brother Paul will hit the right note.  This line I find very true to form with drug addicts: “Drugs tend to make sick people well and well people sick.”

Perhaps “Forever 31” a poem written by Scott Mcginnis’ mom will pull at your heart strings.

“Forever 31, Is what you’ll always be, For that’s how old you were, When you left so suddenly”. Yet another in this book that should touch you so much and bring a tear to your eye. 

Words by Jack Lemmon best describe what death is like: “Death ends a life, not a relationship”.

How do you really know what it feels like when your child dies? Wade Grussmeyer’s mom explains: “The loss of a child is not natural, and I found the only way to describe it is to say it is ‘like a colour you have never seen before’”.  Wade died due to heroin/cocaine how many more will follow?

“My heart rains tears every day now.” Says Roby Nune’s loving mom Michele who lost her son due to heroin.

“I can still feel the hug he gave me two hours before he overdosed” recalls Paul Joseph of his son Joshua. What poignant words…

Jason Mitchell wrote this poem, entitled Demons, before he died due to drugs. “Can’t seem to see the light, and find my way. Darkness is most definitely swallowing me!” his mom Rebie carries his ashes round her neck wherever she goes. At least a part of him will always be with her, both in his ashes and living in her heart.

Also included is a section of poetry and thoughts collected from the Internet, dedicated to those who have lost their sons, daughters, friends etc to drugs.

One that is written by an unknown author had me in tears: “       Mom you have to let me go, Because it was meant to be. And just because you let me go, doesn’t mean you’ll ever lose me. You hold my hand and stroke my cheek, As your heart is breaking in two. And my spirit is still right there, you see, I’ll always be there within you.”

Amongst many others poems, Comets is stirring, The Missing Page tear-jerking, The Cord affecting and We Remember Them a poem for anyone who has ever loved and lost.

 I found it hard to read more of these stories, poems and moving accounts. I had to give up reading for some time for it made me so sad and depressed. These young adults, some barely past fifteen, have all succumbed to the deathly lure of drugs.

I would encourage anyone to read this. It helps to raise awareness that while some may think drugs are the easy way out, they are very much mistaken. Many lives have been destroyed due to cocaine, ecstasy, heroin and more.

Most parents that write in this book provide a link to a website in memory of their daughters/sons. Just take a moment if you can spare the time to visit their websites and pay a tribute. This is their children we are talking about and possibly, unless we can help educate more people about the dangers of drugs, more children will follow, the children of tomorrow.

Read this sobering read and prepare to be moved.