Jennifer Hedican knew her son Ryan wanted help.

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

含羞草研究社淭hey told us to call the public health nurse on Monday. On Monday, Ryan was gone.含羞草研究社�

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

含羞草研究社淚f he was a cancer patient, would he have been given a card?含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社�

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

含羞草研究社淟ike a lot of things, he didn含羞草研究社檛 have to work very hard - he had a lot of natural ability,含羞草研究社� 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含羞草研究社檛 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.

含羞草研究社淚 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含羞草研究社檛 telling us he had a problem. There is a lot of shame in being a drug addict; he didn含羞草研究社檛 want to be a drug addict. He wanted to be with everyone else but he had this monkey on his back.含羞草研究社�

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.

含羞草研究社淗e had a plan,含羞草研究社� explains Jennifer. 含羞草研究社淗e was only going to use every few days - that way he didn含羞草研究社檛 think he含羞草研究社檇 have withdrawal symptoms. That didn含羞草研究社檛 work too well; you含羞草研究社檙e never smarter than the drugs.含羞草研究社�

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, 含羞草研究社渇entanyl poisoning.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社�

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.

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

含羞草研究社淲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 含羞草研究社榗riminal含羞草研究社� out of it, you含羞草研究社檒l see it as part of the human condition - it gives people pleasure. It含羞草研究社檚 inherent in those substances; that含羞草研究社檚 what they含羞草研究社檙e designed to do.含羞草研究社�

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.

含羞草研究社�(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?含羞草研究社�

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.

含羞草研究社淢y thoughts may not be your thoughts, but we含羞草研究社檙e putting an honesty and face to the numbers,含羞草研究社� notes John. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 so easy to think that (overdoses and deaths) are happening to 含羞草研究社榯hose people含羞草研究社� - those on the Downtown Eastside. But it含羞草研究社檚 us. It含羞草研究社檚 happening to us.含羞草研究社�