Death is not the first thing that comes up in people’s minds when thinking about college students.
As a matter of fact, people tend to think about the very opposite: A bright, long life ahead of them.
Recently, Bill and Aimee Scannell had to watch the coffin carrying the body of their 20-year-old son going into Central Square Congregational Church in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.
Despite their heartbreaking loss, though, parents of Emmett refused to hide their son’s dark secret – that Emmett had died of heroine overdose.
The parents then posted their son’s obituary on Facebook, which Bill read at the funeral.
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According to an interview with the CBS, the parents said that Emmett was on heroine for just 18 months – and was in and out of rehab while in school.
At the funeral, Bill and Aimee could have easily talked about how their son was a great student, who received full academic scholarship. Or, they could have talked about how he was great at sports.
Instead, Bill and Aimee chose to talk about the seriousness of drug addiction.
Below is an excerpt of what Bill and Aimee had to say about their son:
“When you look at this picture.. Do you see a desperate young man who is addicted to heroine?
Do you see someone that is so sad and depressed he had become a prisoner of his own life?
This young man juts passed 4 days ago from an overdose and he was only 20 years old. He lived amongst us, had parents who loved him unconditionally, and he had his whole life ahead of him.
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To the parents of young kids, I beg you, please do not think it cannot be your child.
Please do not be naive to point that your child does not or never will use drugs or alcohol.”
Now, this powerful post is going viral, and more people are applauding Bill and Aimee’s decision to talk openly about their son’s addiction problem.
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As you can see, drug addiction not only affects the person who is using the substance, but also those who surrounds him or her.
Hopefully, Bill and Aimee’s efforts to raise awareness of overdose will impact more people around the world.