Reality Check!

CALL 911

“Mom, Mom”!!! Shawn’s not breathing!!!!  I cried “oh my God” as I flew down the stairs. As I knelt by his bed, I shook him and called his precious name. “Move out of the way”, his dad shouted. He rolled him off the bed as he tried to perform CPR. “Stop I shouted” as he desperately pounded on his chest, and breathed into his mouth. Vomit flowed from his lips with every chest compression. “Stop”! “He’s dead”. His body was stiff and cold, his beautiful blue eyes were covered with a white fog, lifeless. “Please God no”! I pleaded. “No”. “You promised me you’d be ok”! “You promised”!   But it was too late. He was gone. His brothers stood by watching and crying in disbelief. My precious son who fought so hard to get back the life he so stupidly threw away. Just for a little fun with his friends. Yes, Shawn loved to have a good time. It started with Percocet’s and then moved on to Oxycontin. It only took a few times of using and he became addicted.

He became a different person. He was hateful and angry, he couldn’t sleep. Soon the depression became so overwhelming he said he just felt like dying. He called the depression, “the darkness” trying to help us understand. Rehab after rehab, he tried to get his life back. He filled with hope as he thought he was “cured”. But the “darkness” was too great. He started using again just to make the pain in his mind stop. Now the pain and darkness fills those who loved him. The overwhelming sadness is ours. Our only peace is he suffers no more.

 You see this drug plays a terrible trick on the ones who abuse it. It makes you feel good, but in the end you can’t feel good without it. You hate the person you become. You lose all respect for your self and everyone else. It plunges you into a cycle of shame, guilt and remorse. Does that sound like a good time? Think! Stop! It’s not worth it! Don’t let it steal your soul, or your life. Don’t try it, not even once. Help your friends by being a friend. Tell them don’t do it, it’s not worth it. Only you can!

“SAVE A FRIEND”

Shawn Andrews

Born the 30th of April in1986

Died the 7th of February in 2008

Clearview grad '04