Greenlawn Native Pens Letter Year After Brother’s Fentanyl Overdose

One year after her brother died of a fentanyl overdose, Greenlawn native Sara Brooks is proudly sharing his story.

Sara Brooks, who lives and works in Manhattan, said she grew up thinking she had to keep her brother’s addiction a secret. “I wish I talked about it,” she said. “I wish I told everyone.”

The general public views addicts as worthless humans or criminals, but Sara Brooks said her brother had a "heart of gold."

Her brother John H. Brooks died of a fentanyl overdose on May 5, 2016 at 33 years old. He grew up in Greenlawn and attended Harborfields High School.

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is now outpacing heroin as the deadliest drug on Long Island. According to a New York Times report, fentanyl took the lives of 220 people on Long Island, including John Brooks, in 2016.

John Brooks struggled with addiction for more than a decade after being prescribed pain pills as a teen.

Sara Brooks, who has also lost an uncle and a cousin to addiction, is now doing everything she can to break the stigma of heroin addiction, and hopefully save more lives in the process. She writes, fundraises and ultimately hopes to get into politics or law enforcement to make a bigger impact.

Below, Brooks shared with Patch the story of her brother’s addiction, the reality of rehabilitation centers and why the healthcare system isn’t helping addicts.

"Do me a favor and tell my story to someone today," she wrote.

Here's her story:

A year ago on May 5, 2016, my only brother died from a fentanyl overdose. He battled with addiction for over 10 years. He was a loving, smart, funny, guy who loved to fish. Eleven years ago I lost my uncle to a heroin overdose. Two years ago I lost my younger cousin as well. That's three... My family is distraught.

Any decent private rehab wants upwards of $30,000 a month (money making businesses taking advantage of the mentally ill)... or the other option is a state facility... It's easier to get drugs in a state facility than it is on the streets. And thanks to insurance policies, most insurance companies now only cover 3-14 days in a state facility. Most of the time that is not understood and the "addicts" stay longer and walk away with more problems and an outrageous bill. 3-14 days isn't even enough time to detox. There's no where for these people to go. The problem is that OUR country views "addicts" as worthless humans or criminals, so they are swept under the rug. My brother was not worthless, nor was he a criminal. He had a heart of gold, but his demons got the best of him. He tried, I tried, and my family tried to help him, but he just couldn't help himself.

He became addicted to opiates when he injured his back as a teen. Some incompetent "doctor" decided to prescribe him hundreds of pain pills, rather than actually helping him. After that first pill, it was all over. They call it "chasing the dragon..." Our health care system is not offering proper assistance for the mentally ill. Doctors are handing out prescription pain pills like they're candy. Why aren't more people talking about this?

It's truly difficult to understand addiction, unless you're an addict or your loved one is. It destroys families. It breaks hearts. I would never wish it upon my worst enemy (well maybe that doctor that ruined my brothers life). Growing up, no one spoke about opiate addiction, so I thought I had to keep it a secret all this time. I wish I talked about. I wish I told everyone, so that I could've broken the stigma attached to heroin "junkies." Maybe by doing so I could've saved many lives. Well, I'm talking about it now... And I'm relentless. I have no shame in telling his story and I know my brother is very proud of me for that. Up until the day he died, he helped addicts get/stay clean. He would even run the meetings sometimes. He hated the drugs so much.

Hundreds of people are overdosing every day, which means sisters like me are losing their brothers every day. Parents are burying their children every single fucking day.

This is an epidemic. Our government and pharmaceutical companies are still ignoring the fact that we have a horrendous drug epidemic on our hands right now. They're letting drugs take the lives of our innocent loved ones. It's time to stop them from mass producing synthetic poison. It's time to stop treating addicts like criminals. Crack down on the drug dealers and stop letting them out with a slap on their wrists all because they have enough money for a top-notch lawyer.
Do me a favor and tell my story to someone today. #stopthestigma #strength #advocate #ihateheroin #heroinepidemic #makeadifference

Images via Sara Brooks

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