Adam N.

By Adam's grandmother, Carole

Adam Nolan

Chardon, Ohio

My grandson, Adam J. Nolan, whom I had raised, passed away on November 17, 2012 from a heroin overdose. Adam would have been 20 years old the following month. Adam was a very talented musician and artist. He could make friends with anyone and was very well liked among his peers. Adam was an absolute joy to be around when he was not using heroin.

Adam had been in treatment many times and participated in various Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOPs); he received just about every kind of treatment that was available at the time. After being out of jail for almost three weeks Adam tried hard not to respond to the calling of the drug but, in the end, it was too much for him to resist.

On November 17th, I received a call from the local hospital saying that Adam had been taken there. When I arrived at the hospital, I found out that Adam was already dead; he died in another heroin user’s house after falling asleep in a chair. I was devastated - but also relieved. My biggest fear was that one day no one would know where Adam was and he would die under a bridge, all alone, and freeze to death.

The day Adam died he had come home for a shower and I took him back to the house he was staying at. Before I dropped him off, Adam told me he wished he could go around to schools and tell kids: “Do not take heroin, not even one time; as it is the worst thing in the world. It hooks you in even the first time.” When I dropped him off, I told him I loved him and two hours later Adam was gone. Adam never got the opportunity to tell his story, but maybe his death can be used to stop someone who is thinking of trying heroin for the first time.

Adam was very much loved and is greatly missed.