Mom Honors Late Son's Memory, Bond With 'Soulmate' Dog With Gift Cards For Rescue's Foster Families

MOKENA, IL — The mother of a Mokena man who died at 29 after a yearslong battle with addiction is honoring his memory—and the bond he shared with his rescue dog—with a fundraising effort for families who foster through the same organization that brought them together.

Katie Hollingsworth, whose son Robbie died in September 2023, has started a "Fight On For Robbie" Amazon wishlist in hopes supporters will purchase gift cards to be given to It's A Pittie Rescue foster families.

Hollingsworth has volunteered with the Peotone-based organization since 2017, and adopted Robbie's dog "Annie" through them. The two were inseparable, Hollingsworth said, and Annie played a crucial role in supporting Robbie through his addiction battle and fight for recovery.

"From the moment we got Annie, she would not leave his side," Hollingsworth told Patch. "She was meant to be a family dog, but instantly became 'his dog' instead. I think that was God’s intention all along."

Annie even paid visits during Robbie's time spent in sober living, Hollingsworth said.

"... sometimes he would take her there to stay with him for a few days," she said. "When he was living at home, she was always either with him, or waiting for him to come home. During times that his depression would hit him the hardest, he would retreat to his room for a few days, and she would stay right there with him and refuse to leave his side. She would only eat if we fed her in his room, and she would only go outside if he took her out."

The two appeared inextricably linked, with Annie seeming to sense Robbie's emotional state.

"She had an uncanny ability to pick up on whatever he was feeling and provide whatever he needed," she said, "whether it was emotional support, unconditional love, or companionship."

Hollingsworth is collecting the gift cards until July 15, and plans to distribute them in August, poignantly timed as International Overdose Awareness Day falls on Aug. 31.

"Please accept this gift in loving memory of our son, Robbie," reads a note that will be included with each card gifted. "IPR alumni Annie was his dog, his best friend and his soulmate. Thank you for the work you do to ensure that dogs like Annie get to live out their best lives with people who love them."

The project happens ahead of what would have been Robbie's 32nd birthday on Sept. 21. For 15 years, Robbie had struggled with addiction—"all of his adult life," she said.

Robbie's recovery was spurred by an arrest shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic. He was incarcerated for nine months, with court-ordered substance abuse treatment afterward. That led to his longest stretch of sobriety—the two years prior to his death, Hollingsworth said.

He relapsed before his death, she said, but she isn't sure for how long.

Robbie was found dead in a Manhattan retention pond days after he had been reported missing. He had suffered a psychotic episode, his mother said, and his cause of death was drowning.

'I learned to love him where he was'

Supporting Robbie through his battle with substance abuse took patience and was a learning process for those around him, Hollingsworth previously told Patch. Annie played a big part, she stressed.

As she collects gift cards via her Amazon Wishlist, Hollingsworth remembers how she discovered that to be the best support for Robbie, she had to put herself first.

"I learned to take care of myself first," she said. "I did that by going to meetings (for families of addicts). Once I started taking care of myself—and I learned that I couldn’t make decisions for him and that I couldn’t cure his addiction—and backed off, he started getting better. That’s what helped him get into recovery.

"I probably wouldn’t have had 29 years with him if I hadn’t learned how to do that. I just kind of learned to love him where he was at. I’m grateful for that, because we had a lot of good memories, and he was able to reconnect with family."

Now just three years shy of his death, Annie's grief seems to have eased, Hollingsworth said, though the dog's initial heartbreak at losing her boy was clear.

"Annie is now 8 years old, but she is in great health and is still very active," she said. "When Robbie first died, she used to sit on our steps and stare at the front door waiting for him to come back home."

This year's effort marks Hollingsworth's second in his memory. Last year, she collected donations for recovery bags filled with essential items for people as they face their own fights with addiction. Each bag contains personal hygiene products, water, snacks, cold weather gear, socks and fidget toys. Each will also include NARCAN and fentanyl test strips, as well as photos honoring those who have died from substance abuse. She initially hoped to fill 40 bags for those utilizing the Recovery Community Center of Joliet, but with an overwhelming amount of contributions, she was able to create 100.

'Our strategy is working, and we are seeing results'

A drug epidemic has gripped Will County for years, with 104 drug-related deaths in 2024—the majority of them opiate-related, the County reports. Of those deaths, 64 were fentanyl/heroin-related.

In 2025, the number of drug-related deaths was down to 72, with just under half opiate-related.

As of June 16, there have been 28 drug-related deaths in Will County in 2026. Ten of them were opiate-related, according to county records.

To combat drug overdose deaths, Will County has placed 29 Naloxone—or Narcan—distribution boxes at locations within its boundaries, including 11 recently added in May.

Naloxone is a medication designed to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose and is available through the Illinois Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution Program free of charge to all individuals in Will County. Naloxone binds to opioid receptors in the brain and can reverse and block the effects of opioids. It can begin working within minutes to restore breathing, consciousness, and save a life.

Will County officials said the distribution boxes have been effective.

“Making sure that we are reaching all of our communities in Will County is a high priority," said Dr. Kathleen Burke, Behavioral Health Community Coordinator for the Will County Health Department, in a release. "Besides the Naloxone Red Distribution Boxes, we are working with the public libraries that as of January 1 are required to keep naloxone on hand at all times. We also support our schools that are required to maintain a supply of Naloxone. In 2025 Will County reduced the number of opioid overdose deaths by 55%. Our strategy is working, and we are seeing results."

In memory of her son and in tribute to his relationship with rescue dog Annie, Hollingsworth is collecting gift cards for It's A Pittie Rescue foster families that can be purchased through her Amazon Wishlist through July 15. The cards will be distributed in August.