Videos

Grandmother becomes an advocate after losing granddaughter to fentanyl overdose

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Debbie Peeden is a grandmother, mother and now activist. 

What You Need To Know

  • Debbie Peeden’s granddaughter Ashley died from fentanyl in 2021
  • A report from the DEA shows that 6 out of 10 fentanyl-laced prescription pills contain a lethal dose of the drug
  • In 2021, according to the CDC, almost 108,000 Americans died from drug poisoning

Peeden said her granddaughter Ashley was hanging out with a friend in 2021 when she died.

“So turns out the cocaine that she thought she had was mainly fentanyl, and she had enough fentanyl all in her system from the toxicology report to have killed several people,” Peeden said.

This is becoming common with young adults. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, overdose deaths involving psychostimulants with abuse potential rose from 547 in 1999 to 23,837 in 2020 and continued to increase to 32,537 deaths in 2021. 

Peeden says she will never be the same since the loss of Ashley. She and her husband had custody of her when she was just 12 months old and raised her.

Read the full article on the Spectrum 1 News web site.

Download Article PDF

Grandmother applauds schools for bringing awareness to dangers of fentanyl

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, and 50 times deadlier than heroin. 

With substance abuse a growing issue in high schools, the PTSA at Northern Guilford is planning a town hall to draw attention to the problem. 

Debbie Peeden lost her granddaughter, Ashley, less than 2 years ago. 

The Northern Guilford graduate faced mental health challenges for many years.

Eventually, a deadly dose of fentanyl would take her life. 

“I tell people, I was her biggest advocate her whole entire life and I will be her biggest advocate in her death. I’m not going to have her death be in vain,” said Peeden. 

Peeden made it her mission to draw more attention to the growing problem of substance abuse. 

Read the complete article on the WFMY News 2 web site.

Download Article PDF

Fentanyl killed their son. Now they’re begging parents to understand the dangers

CNN — 

It was every parent’s worst nightmare.

Two days after Christmas 2020, Chris Didier went into his son Zach’s bedroom in their home near Sacramento. The accomplished student, school theater actor and athlete was unresponsive at his desk – his head lying on his arm.

“I could feel before I even touched him that something was horribly wrong,” said Chris.

Read the full story and watch the video on CNN.com

Widow and mother of late MLB pitcher Tyler Skaggs speak out against fentanyl

For the first time on camera, the widow of Tyler Skaggs and his mother are sharing their story of loss after the 2019 death of the Los Angeles Angels pitcher. Skaggs was just 27 years old when he was found dead in his hotel room after taking fentanyl-laced oxycodone on the road with his team.

Over three years after Tyler Skaggs’ death, his wife, Carli Skaggs, and mother, Debbie Hetman, spoke to ABC News about what justice looks like to their family.

Read the full article on the Good Morning America web site.

The Chad Prather Show – Fentanyl PSA

North Carolina, where a babysitter just got sentenced to a minimum of four year years in prison for the fentanyl death of a toddler.

Haley Godshall is the now-former defendant in question. Haley was babysitting a friend’s baby for the day, but was also hanging out with one of her friends … a girl with the unfortunate name of Daisy Bare. But here’s the thing: Fentanyl, as we know, doesn’t take a whole lot to kill a person. A few grains of it can be lethal under the right circumstances, and that’s for an adult! I think the pretty obvious first place to land on this is: Don’t do drugs around children, and especially don’t do dangerous drugs that can kill you around them.

Translate »