Jennifer Hedican knew her son Ryan wanted help.

It was the weekend, and with her husband John, they took their son to St. Joseph害羞草研究所檚 Hospital in Comox. At the hospital, Ryan was only given a business card.

害羞草研究所淭hey told us to call the public health nurse on Monday. On Monday, Ryan was gone.害羞草研究所�

Hedican pauses for a moment, resting her arms on her kitchen table in her Courtenay home.

害羞草研究所淚f he was a cancer patient, would he have been given a card?害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所�

Growing up in the Comox Valley, Ryan was, as described by John, 害羞草研究所渁 typical little boy,害羞草研究所� who played sports, water skied and played piano.

害羞草研究所淟ike a lot of things, he didn害羞草研究所檛 have to work very hard - he had a lot of natural ability,害羞草研究所� adds Jennifer.

After graduating from Mark R. Isfeld Secondary, Ryan received his business diploma from North Island College. He thought he would open his own business, but couldn害羞草研究所檛 find anything that appealed to him, and went back to school for the electrical program at the college in Campbell River.

Prior to his post-secondary schooling, his parents agree they knew he was using drugs recreationally.

It began with alcohol in Grade 10, and shortly afterwards, Ryan was using marijuana. Later, he used heroin.

Jennifer says for the longest time, she attributed the shift in his behaviour to anxiety, but she now knows it was his drug use.

害羞草研究所淚 was surprised - I was shocked at first. He lived in our house and we would discuss his behavioral choices. He told me he was in a bad spot, but he wasn害羞草研究所檛 telling us he had a problem. There is a lot of shame in being a drug addict; he didn害羞草研究所檛 want to be a drug addict. He wanted to be with everyone else but he had this monkey on his back.害羞草研究所�

Between his first and second year of school, Ryan found work in the Lower Mainland perfecting his trade.

John says he was able to get clean on his own and he did really well both in school and at the job site. He attended school in Burnaby for his second year and returned to work, but lost his job as his drug use increased.

The Hedicans offered to place Ryan in treatment, and he accepted. Following eight weeks of treatment, he moved home, and eventually found a job working at the Campbell River Hospital as a second-year electrician.

He began using again.

害羞草研究所淗e had a plan,害羞草研究所� explains Jennifer. 害羞草研究所淗e was only going to use every few days - that way he didn害羞草研究所檛 think he害羞草研究所檇 have withdrawal symptoms. That didn害羞草研究所檛 work too well; you害羞草研究所檙e never smarter than the drugs.害羞草研究所�

Ryan eventually moved to Parksville where he lost contact with family for a few months. John received a call from him asking for help.

The family called a variety of resources seeking help. There were wait-lists and roadblocks, and the Hedicans knew Ryan wanted help immediately.

They found a treatment centre in New Westminster, where Ryan lived for eight months.

He found work in Vancouver, and had moved out with friends from the centre in mid-April.

A few days later, Ryan, 26, passed away on April 24, 2017, from a long battle of addiction due to, as termed by the Hedicans, 害羞草研究所渇entanyl poisoning.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所�

The Hedicans understand their approach to changing the way addiction is regarded and treated in Canada is controversial, but they believe lives can be saved by providing a safe, clean source for opiates and other drugs and decriminalizing personal possession.

Jennifer draws parallels between fentanyl and the AIDS crisis - and recalls when those who contracted AIDS were highly stigmatized within society - yet adds sexuality is a normal part of the human condition.

害羞草研究所淎ddiction is an unwanted disease caused by substance abuse,害羞草研究所� Jennifer says firmly. 害羞草研究所淪ubstance use is a human condition. For those who say people chose that lifestyle - nobody chooses addition.

害羞草研究所淲hat is the difference between pouring two glasses of wine or taking a toke of a joint or a line of cocaine? One is illegal. If you took the word 害羞草研究所榗riminal害羞草研究所� out of it, you害羞草研究所檒l see it as part of the human condition - it gives people pleasure. It害羞草研究所檚 inherent in those substances; that害羞草研究所檚 what they害羞草研究所檙e designed to do.害羞草研究所�

John - who has spoken to representatives of various levels of government - wonders why the government supports the legalization of some drugs (alcohol and marijuana), yet not others. He feels the use of legal drugs often leads to the use of illegal and now poison-laced drugs.

害羞草研究所�(People) are treated as criminals for simple possession; how come we provide safe injection sites yet it is illegal to have those substances in your possession?害羞草研究所�

In a report released by the BC Coroners Service in November, there were 914 illicit drug overdose deaths in B.C., with fentanyl detected from January through September 2017 - a 147 per cent increase (370 deaths) from the same period last year.

Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh has noted the New Democrats would decriminalize personal possession of all drugs, not just marijuana.

Both John and Jennifer are sharing their experiences through school presentations and will continue to advocate for what they believe would be an option for government to address the fentanyl crisis.

They are asking others to contact government officials to share their concerns.

害羞草研究所淢y thoughts may not be your thoughts, but we害羞草研究所檙e putting an honesty and face to the numbers,害羞草研究所� notes John. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 so easy to think that (overdoses and deaths) are happening to 害羞草研究所榯hose people害羞草研究所� - those on the Downtown Eastside. But it害羞草研究所檚 us. It害羞草研究所檚 happening to us.害羞草研究所�