Double Tragedy Drives Mom's Message About Opioid Dangers
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - As 19,000 students converged on the Barclays Center, some saw thousands excited for a day outside the classroom. For Becky Savage, she saw thousands of voices who could spread her message about the dangers of opioid use.
"One bad decision ended Nick and Jack's life," said Savage is moving video shown at the We Day event in Brooklyn. "And now I'm dedicating my life to raising awareness to prescription drugs misuse."
Savage, a married mother of four boys, shared her heartbreaking story of losing two of her sons in one night, reports CBS2's Hazel Sanchez.
In 2015, 18-year-old Jack and 19-year-old Nick experimented with prescription opioids offered to them at a party.
It was their first time - and it was fatal.
"I started CPR on Jack after I called 911," said Becky. "In the meantime I had hollered at Nick to come help me. And he never came. And what I know now is when I was hollering at Nick, his friends were trying to wake him and they realized he had passed as well."
Savage says she and her family struggled to talk about the tragedy, but then decided to speak out so no other family would experience their pain.
"We've had those conversations with our kids," she said. "And never once did we think that this would happen to our family. But I'm here to tell you it can happen to any family."
Students say savage's story taught them the impact one wrong choice can make.
"When you make a decision, it's not just affecting you," said one student at We Day. "Because if something bad happens to you it affects your family too."
Savage is encouraging children to have an exit plan if they're offered opioids and have their parents safely dispose of unused prescription medications.
"I want the kids to walk away where they're feeling empowered, like it ends with us," she said. "That they can make a difference and they can make a change."
