Tragic end to comic fans life and a lesson 2 2

[jason4]

Hi all, I’m not the most social person in the world but I want to share this horrible story somehow and this is the only place I feel I can and if it convinces one person to save someone it’s worth it.

My family has faced an unbearable tragedy, having just lost my younger brother of 22 years of age to drugs. 4 years ago as he was set to leave high school he went through horrible things that he was not ready for. He suffered multiple concussions in football and they gave him medications that he developed an addiction for. Combined with our father being hospitalized from a terrible car accident and an emotionally abusive and controlling girlfriend convincing him to use more and more drugs it was a terrible start to his young adult life. We tried desperately to help him and he loved us and wanted help but he never could get past this all. He made bad decisions at seemingly every turn and we cried and prayed for him. 

Last sunday, he had me convinced he was done with pills. He started a full time job, got set up for college, and seemed 100 percent sober. My brother and sister and I along with my wife and children took him with us to see Infinity War. He loved all things comics and we all loved the movie. He cracked jokes pretending to spoil that “Batman would die first”. This movie and great time together would be the last time any of us except our mother would see him.

my mother did everything for him. You cannot count the number of psychologists, hospitals, emergency rooms, counselors and family members whom she had tried to save her sons life and get him on track. She helped him get set up at a very close by apartment, gave him food, and brought him to and from his job everyday despite working and having 5 other children. 

Thursday night, she came to bring him to work but he did not answer the door and no one was home except him. My mother came inside and found him face down on the floor and she cried for him to get up. When she rolled him over his face was black as the night and he foamed at the mouth. She screamed for help but no one was there. Dialed 911 and did cpr. When they arrived they told her he was dead for hours. Heroin, which none of us ever knew he started was found in empty syringes. I got the call first and screamed and ran out of my house yelling down the street where is my brother as everyone stared and I did not care. They wouldn’t let me in the house. Brothers and sisters arrived and broke down. We had to tell my sick father and I will never forget how he screamed that his boy was dead. I had to tell my children who loved spending time with uncle joe that he was going to heaven with our Poppy. Combined with our sister in law being murdered (my wife’s sister Sarah Goode) just a few years ago let me say this life has been extremely horrible. I still pray and look to the book of Job to keep my faith. 

Let this story be a lesson to anyone who reads it that drugs will kill your loved ones. Hug them and love them and even though you will want them to get away you cannot let them feel you don’t love them deeply. Again, we only knew he abused painkillers and opioids, but this can lead to heroin and it killed him dead on maybe the 2nd time he used. Get help for your loved ones and don’t trust what the system tells you, trust your heart and your love for whom ever it is and never stop trying to help and never make them feel unloved. I will never be happy and don’t care now, I just miss my brother.

I am not here to seek any donations for his funeral. But if you would like to help our family it is greatly appreciated and see us when we were happy please click the link. Joseph is far left. If you cannot donate don’t, just pray for joes soul with us and talk to your children and loved ones about drugs, especially heroin. 

https://www.gofundme.com/mwudqt-help-the-miller-family

Edited May 6, 2018 by jason4

[wombat]

Sorry for your loss and all the tragedy your family has had. 

[Buzzetta]

The heroin situation is out of control on Long Island.  It is cheap and easily available.  I go for a bike ride along the preserve or down to Jones Beach and you can see needles in the grass.  I went to the Walt Whitman mall a couple of weeks ago and there were needles in the parking lot.   I am truly sorry for your loss as this epidemic is out of control out here.  From my profession, we saw this epidemic coming over 15 years ago but no one on Long Island wanted to publicly talk about it or admit to its severity.  Leaders of many LI communities made sure it was spoken about in hushed voices in fear that it would lower the home values in their towns.  If only they knew then the impact of those decisions. 

I hope that your family can heal.  It never gets "better" but in time, it becomes more manageable to deal with the loss.  Just try to remember the best of times that you had with your brother and focus on that.  Celebrate the life he lived not how he passed.  Please give a hug to your parents from many of us on the CGC boards as I am sure from after reading this we will be thinking them. 

Edited May 6, 2018 by Buzzetta

[oakman29]

What a sad ending to a  young hopeful life.im sorry for your loss. I too have lost someone this year to drugs, and it is incredibly difficult to comprehend the pain I feel. So I know where you're coming from, and my prayers to your family.

[faster friends]

We will pray for your family also. Our son Joseph is in rehab right now and we feel your fears and pain. 

[jason4]

Thank you all

[jason4]

33 minutes ago, Buzzetta said:

The heroin situation is out of control on Long Island.  It is cheap and easily available.  I go for a bike ride along the preserve or down to Jones Beach and you can see needles in the grass.  I went to the Walt Whitman mall a couple of weeks ago and there were needles in the parking lot.   I am truly sorry for your loss as this epidemic is out of control out here.  From my profession, we saw this epidemic coming over 15 years ago but no one on Long Island wanted to publicly talk about it or admit to its severity.  Leaders of many LI communities made sure it was spoken about in hushed voices in fear that it would lower the home values in their towns.  If only they knew then the impact of those decisions. 

I hope that your family can heal.  It never gets "better" but in time, it becomes more manageable to deal with the loss.  Just try to remember the best of times that you had with your brother and focus on that.  Celebrate the life he lived not how he passed.  Please give a hug to your parents from many of us on the CGC boards as I am sure from after reading this we will be thinking them. 

You are right about Long Island. And I think part of the problem is the laws and the police are not able to do what has to be done to get the dealers off the streets. We know who gave him the last drugs from what we saw on his phone and showed the cops and homicide detectives the Facebook page of the dealer but they said if he didn’t inject it into my brother they might not be able to do much about it. They forwarded all evidence to narcotics department and who knows if they will get him.

[oakman29]

10 minutes ago, jason4 said:

You are right about Long Island. And I think part of the problem is the laws and the police are not able to do what has to be done to get the dealers off the streets. We know who gave him the last drugs from what we saw on his phone and showed the cops and homicide detectives the Facebook page of the dealer but they said if he didn’t inject it into my brother they might not be able to do much about it. They forwarded all evidence to narcotics department and who knows if they will get him.

[chrisco37]

Very sorry for your loss.  Addiction is a brutal disease with an incredibly high attrition rate.  Very hard to beat it and a continuing battle for those lucky ones that do.  You often hear stories of people that have seemingly got their life together and decide to go back out “one more time”.  And it turns out being their last.

i hope your brother has finally found peace.  And, while your family will probably never get over this, maybe you all will find a little peace as well now that the battle is over.  Addiction causes as much, if not more, chaos to the family of an addict than the actual addict.

[apollobuzz]

Truly sorry for your loss.  Thanks for sharing your story and reminding me what is really most important in life.

[justafan]

My condolences for your loss.  I truly feel for what you and your family have gone through and where it has come to.

I have an older brother who has suffered with addiction for his whole life.  It has also consumed my parent's lives caring for him, maintaining and managing his addiction treatments and his revolving cycle of jail and rehab. It affects everyone differently.  I wish there was a cure all but we haven't found it yet.  So many nights over the years we've expected it to be the last one only to be put through another ringer of recovery and rehab. The one and only reason why we think he hasn't died yet (aside from the possibility that he shares similar genetics to Kieth Richards) is that he has 2 daughters that must keep him trying to recover.  I bore so much resentment towards him at taking so much time away from my parents and having to help raise his daughters but hearing your story has reminded me to see what my parents know that one of these days it will be his last and he is still a father to my 2 nieces, he is still my brother and still my parents son and we should always do the best we can to cherish the times we have with him and never give up on them.

I pray your family recovers from this loss and doesn't bare any guilt or resentment after his passing.  Knowing that you did all you could and never abandoned him, you should remember the true parts of him when he was sober and remember him for the way he was when you could see the light of his heart in the good times you shared no matter how brief they may have been. 

 

[GermanFan]

Drug dealers are mass murderers and should be treated as such.

[Kramerica]

I am so sorry to hear this. Thanks for sharing and please take care of yourself and your family. Addiction is a terrible thing and I can relate to what you're going through. I promise you that the pain will ease over time. It may seem impossible to imagine right now but it will. This is awful news that puts everything in perspective and my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during this time  

[Senormac]

Very sad news.  May The Lord comfort you and lead you into the healing of your hearts.  

[1950's war comics]

may your brother rest in peace

[Scrooge]

Very sorry to hear about your brother's death. I pray that your family will find strength in the coming times.

[Knightsofold]

Terrible news.  I wish it was easier to help the addicted. I’ve seen how this powerful drug can completely possess the user making it extremely difficult and sometimes impossible for even the most committed loved ones to help.  

Very sorry for your loss.

[James J Johnson]

10 hours ago, Buzzetta said:

The heroin situation is out of control on Long Island.  It is cheap and easily available. 

It's out of control everywhere. I love to run. Almost every day. A park, a parkway bike/pedestrian side path, even under a long strip mall overhang after stores close if it's snowing or raining, whether home or away. I try to get in a few miles every day. Typically in middle class to affluent areas, and it doesn't matter. You have to keep your eyes moving ahead or down or you'll step right on the needles, some of which they don't even put the caps back onto. Sad. .

[SteppinRazor]

Condolences to you and your family.  Your brother had family that loved him while he was here and that will always be true.

[nepatkm]

Sorry for your loss. ?