This did not have to happen — A local call for fentanyl awareness
August 31 is International Overdose Awareness Day. For many, it is a day of reflection. For me, it is something I live with every day.
On February 12, 2024, my daughter Keely died in South Lake Tahoe. She was 33 years old — beautiful, deeply loved, and full of life. She died alongside three other people. They believed they were using cocaine. What they were actually given was pure fentanyl.
This did not have to happen.
There was no warning. No chance to make a different decision. Just a moment that changed everything for our family and for everyone who loved her.
Fentanyl has changed the reality of drug use in ways many people still do not fully understand. It is not just found in opioids anymore. It is showing up in substances people don’t associate with overdose risk at all. People think they know what they are taking — but too often, they don’t.
And that is where the real danger lies.
Keely is not a statistic. She is my daughter, and she matters deeply. I am sharing her story because I do not want another family to go through this kind of pain.
International Overdose Awareness Day is a global campaign, and this year marks its 25th year. It is still needed because overdose continues to take far too many lives.
We need to start having honest conversations about fentanyl. We need to make sure our kids, our friends, and our neighbors understand that one unknown substance — just one — can be fatal.
We also need to be prepared. Carrying naloxone, or Narcan, can save a life. It is simple to use and available without a prescription. In a moment of crisis, those few minutes matter.
To learn more about International Overdose Awareness Day, visit overdoseday.com. To honor Keely and help others, I will be hosting an International Overdose Awareness Day event at the Markleeville Library on August 31 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is a space for our community to come together — to learn, to remember, and to support one another.
I truly hope people will come. This matters.
If you would like more information, please contact me at Gabweetman55@gmail.com.
We cannot change what happened to Keely. But we can honor her by speaking up, by educating others, and by looking out for one another.
Because this did not have to happen
