February 11th was the worst day of our lives. We hadn’t heard from Jacob in a week and family stopped by his home to check on him. He was found deceased from fentanyl poisoning (per Medical Examiner he had passed a few days prior to being found). Jacob had suffered from severe depression and a mental illness that was not diagnosed or treated. The stigma associated with mental health treatment kept him from seeking help.

Jacob was a son, a brother, an uncle, and a friend. He would do anything for anyone. On the outside, you’d never know he was struggling. Inside, his world was crumbling and he felt like there was no way out. Jacob did not know he was using fentanyl the night he died. We know he wouldn’t have knowingly taken that drug.