Marie Agioritis, Saskatoon, SK

Marie lost her son Kelly to a Fentanyl overdose in January of 2015. Witnesses say he took one half of a pill, thought to be Oxycontin. It took his life.  Kelly was a funny, bright and handsome young man. He worked at the keg and had dreams of becoming an electrician, a dream that was to begin in March - only 2 months after his passing. He was a giver of hugs and was adored by his friends, a sentiment confirmed by the 900 that showed up to his funeral.

No stranger to the ravages of opiates, Marie watched her oldest son, Kelly's brother,  fall deep into its grips for the 4 years prior to Kelly's death. It was the loss of his little brother that moved him to fight for recovery.

Since Kelly's passing his mother was driven to make a difference. She didn't want our children lost to this epidemic to be defined by their addiction, or their death. She has told his story nationally through numerous media sources and has influenced decision makers in Ottawa to move forward with much needed change to keep our communities safe.