Our country is in the midst of an opioid crisis. No one knows that better than Shelly Bornstein, who lost her son Tyler to an opioid overdose in in 2014.

Shelly is a nuclear medicine technologist who has been with Aultman for 28 years. When her son Tyler was in high school, he became addicted to pain medication. “He had elbow surgery and, at the time, I had no idea of the possible addictive qualities of the opiates he was given,” she said. “Tyler always struggled with stress, and I believe he experimented with pain meds in high school. It was a big thing for kids to try, and he became addicted his senior year.”

As Tyler’s addiction grew, he transitioned from pain pills to heroin. “Pain meds are often more expensive and harder to get than heroin. A year after Tyler graduated high school, he came to us to tell us he was addicted to heroin,” Shelly shared. “For people with addictive personalities, addiction can happen in as little as a few weeks. It’s a progressive disease.”

After multiple stays in rehabilitation facilities, Tyler relapsed in mid-September 2014. “Tyler could no longer deal with the pain from the opiate withdrawals,” Shelly said. “He decided to use heroin one more time.”

On Sept. 28, 2014, Tyler met up with another heroin addict. While Tyler was in the process of overdosing on heroin laced with fentanyl, the other person chose not to call 911. “He was afraid to call 911 because he didn’t want to get in trouble and be arrested,” Shelly said. “Instead, he took Tyler to a vacant lot on the corner of Arlington and Alfred Road in Akron and left him there to die.”

When a family loses a loved one to addiction, many perceive the situation as different from losing someone to a disease like cancer. “To me, the biggest misconception is that addiction is a moral failure,” Shelly said. “Many judge those who fight addiction; it’s hard for people to understand. They don’t know what to say when your family is directly affected by addiction, so they don’t say anything. That adds more hurt to an already painful situation.”

At times, being an advocate for addiction is hard because Shelly and her family hear about other people every day who are lost to addiction. “As difficult as it is, it’s also healing for our family,” she said. “I believe our stories dictate what our purpose is. We would have never chosen this story, but it’s the one God gave us. Who better to advocate than people who have been in the trenches.”

Since Tyler’s passing, Shelly and her husband Travis have been advocating for Ohio to pass a “Good Samaritan Law.” Travis shared the Bornstein family’s story by testifying at state house and senate meetings. The Bornsteins and their daughters Tana and Taylor have been interviewed by media outlets from Canton to Columbus, attempting to change the stigma of drug addiction.

On June 13, 2016, Ohio Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor and House Representative Robert Spragg invited Shelly and Travis to attend the signing of the Good Samaritan Law – House Bill 110 – with Governor John Kasich. The law grants immunity to 911 callers – and the person overdosing on heroin, opioids or other drugs – from being arrested and penalized for a minor drug possession offense. “Most people are not alone when they overdose,” Shelly said. “Most emergency response personnel are equipped with Naloxone, which blocks the effects of opioids. With quick treatment, an overdose can be reversed.”

Ohio's new law doesn’t provide blanket immunity; there are some provisions:

• Immunity is only good for two times and not available for people on parole.
• Medical professionals can share with law enforcement the name and address of the person who overdosed for further investigation and follow-up.
• The law requires the person who overdosed to receive a referral for treatment within 30 days of receiving medical assistance in order to receive immunity.

The Bornstein family is proud Ohio joined 37 states and the District of Columbia in adopting a 911 Good Samaritan law. Ohio’s law takes effect in mid-September. “This law could have possibly saved our son’s life, if the other addict with Tyler would have just called for 911 help,” Shelly said. “We feel the passing of this bill is a major victory, one that will hopefully save lives.”

Learn more about the Bornstein family’s efforts at http://www.nowwefightforyou.com/index.html.