East Bay moms who lost sons to drugs host Narcan training
SAN FRANCISCO -- As state and city leaders grapple with how to save hundreds of lives to drug overdoses in the Bay Area, two East Bay moms are doing something about it.
Michelle Leopold and April Rovero both lost their sons to an overdose. And both mothers are working to do something about the pain they feel at such a loss.
On a quiet morning in Oakley, customers of the Ace Hardware that Leopold owns got a class in using Narcan, a substance that pulls overdose victims back from the brink of death.
"If my son had had Narcan on hand, he would have survived," Rovero said as she held up packages of Narcan. " He didn't have that much in his system. It didn't take that much for him."
Leopold told KPIX 5 she hopes her stepping forward as a mom and a business owner will encourage other business owners to turn their storefronts into places where families can get the training they need to save a life. Leopold offered instruction on using Narcan during the class.
"You spray it up the nose. You still need to call 9-1-1, because this is just a stop-gap measure. But this can save a life during an overdose," she said during the training.
Turning pain into purpose is what the class is about for both moms. Rovero knows she can't help save everyone, but saving one life is a major win for her.
"Are we winning the battle? No," she admitted. "But we are helping others avoid being caught up with what we have lived with the loss of our sons."
Additional information on how to administer Narcan can be found here: