The fourth annual International Overdose Awareness Day is today (Thursday) with a commemorative event to be held in the parking lot at White and Centre Streets in St. Thomas.
It’s a cooperative effort hosted by The Nameless, the city’s emergency shelter The Inn, the CMHA, The Salvation Army, Indwell and Southwestern Public Health.
At last year’s event, guest speaker Anna Maria Iredale of St. Marys recounted the death of her son Mathew (pictured at left).
She lost him to fentanyl, although he did not fit the image of drug abuser.
Iredale can’t be in St. Thomas today but she says, nevertheless, her heart will be here.
She tells myFM she is grateful for the work undertaken by the volunteers with the harm reduction organization.
Iredale is a member of Moms Stop The Harm, a network of Canadian families impacted by substance-use-related harms and deaths.
In her absence from today’s St. Thomas event, Iredale acknowledges she has several messages to convey.
“Have a plan in place for future trauma for anybody that is in recovery. And people who are helping in recovery have to have a plan in place for trauma.
“Don’t give up hope. You’re living and breathing so there is always hope.
“A big hug to all of them.”
Today’s event is a chance to support and be supported. An opportunity to learn about services in the community and what you can do to help. It runs from 4 until 7 p.m.
