Check out this Seattle Times story of a mother who uses her celebrity to draw attention to the opioid epidemic. Penny LeGate is well known in that city for her years as a broadcaster. After the loss of her daughter to a heroin overdose, she has moved the issue into greater visibility. She has testified before state and national lawmakers and is pushing for practical help. Her daughter’s story was also part of the recent, acclaimed Frontline show, Chasing Heroin, on the subject.
“This can happen to anyone,” Legate told Seattle Times journalist Nicole Brodeur. “And a lot of people have been unwilling to talk about it because they don’t want to be judged as horrible parents. I tell them to come out of the shadows because hiding the disease, whether it’s yourself or someone you love, allows people to die.”