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By Michael's mom, Betsy
Michael Ragone
Charlotte, North Carolina
My son, Michael, struggled with heroin addiction for over 10 years. He died on January 17, 2016, of an accidental overdose here in his hometown of Charlotte, NC, while visiting from Phoenix Arizona. He was 30 years old. Our Michael loved fishing, football, poker, jokes, his girlfriend, family and friends. He was hysterically funny--his sense of humor was sarcastic and edgy. He used to sing songs in Italian that he had memorized. He could light up a room with his smile and big personality. He was ashamed of his addiction and always thought he could beat it on his own. One of his last texts to me was, "love u 2 Moms...Don't let fear control you...I know how bad this sounds but I promise I will not make you bury me.. I'm going to outlive u"
He didn't mean to leave us---Me, my husband Mike, his sister Michelle, his Grandmother Mickey, his girlfriend Jennifer, his aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.
It was an accident. Again, he was lured by a cunning drug that destroys impulse control. Again, he was crushed under the shame and stigma of being addicted. He used alone and died alone.
Our Mission at Michael's VOICE: To educate, raise awareness, give hope, advocate prevention and help ease the shame and stigma from people affected by opiate addiction. #MichaelsVOICE
To learn more about Michael’s VOICE, visit the website: www.michaelsvoice.org
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