FENTANYL POISONING: Joshua Bell's Story 

“his first drug dealers wore white coats”perfectly said because that is what my drug dealers wore too

Ugh when his mom said she lost her first unconditional love. Tears!! So true. Our babies are our first love. We should never lose them especially to being poisoned.

Sibling loss IS an awful form of loss and no one talks about it, his sister is so right! I lost my sister in 2012 and it’s truly jarring. You can’t properly grieve because you have to be strong for your parents and it’s taken me so many years later to be able to cry and say her name. It’s so truly awful, my heart goes out to this entire family.

Finally a parent who gets it. Addiction to drugs starts at the hospital /doctors office. Thank you for sharing your heartbreaking story. I cannot imagine the pain you feel, Condolences for the loss of your son. I keep my distance from doctors and hospitals unless absolutely necessary. I am pharma free and i do not buy or take over the counter drugs either.

I’m so glad that I bumped into this video right now. I’ve gotten off of heroine, oxy, etc. 2 1/2 years ago by taking Suboxone films 3x day. I weaned myself totally off of Subs 3 months ago when I felt I’d be strong enough not to use anymore, but today woke up with a devil of a craving. I need to take myself back and remember how dark and miserable I felt. Thank you for sharing your sons story. I’m sorry for your loss.🙏🏽

I lost my son to addiction last year. It devastated my life. What the young lady said at the end is absolutely true. I should have been more compassionate instead of doing absolutely everything I could to make him stop.

So sorry for your loss!! I just lost my grandson at Christmas to fentanyl! Our family will never get past this!!

Once again this is the problem. You cannot prescribe a dependence forming medication and then yank it out from under one's feet. If they'd have kept giving people who NEED this medication the medication, and tapered those who had an addiction problem with them, then we wouldn't have the current situation, period. It's INCREDIBLY difficult to get painkillers even when desperately needed today. You can have chronic 7/10-8/10 pain and get nothing more than Tylenol. The solution is to find a balance, not to swing violently one way or the other (giving either too many prescriptions or none at all).

Dear Bell Family, My deepest condolences on the passing of Josh. I’m so sorry. May the Lord be with you. Thank you for the work you are doing to make your community aware.

Addictions traumatized an entire family. It is so tragic to see the aftermath.

My deepest sympathies for your loss. The day your son died was the anniversary date of my brother’s death back in 1984.

So many of us have the same story, "we got hooked by being prescribed pain pills from a doctor"! When it was decided for me that I should stop, the pain management doctor told me to go attend "na classes" because I had put myself in the hospital for "suicide", it angered him. I am so sorry to Joshua's Family, keep writing those books Mom!!

The way she broke down how the medical system has failed in the last 20-30 years with this crisis in the first 30 seconds is remarkable.

I can hear Irish in that mammys voice. I can hear the sadness too. Be well and don’t be hard on yourselves. Xx my love too you all. He’s still around you all! Everyday ❤

That children's book is one of the best ideas I've seen in a long time. I fully agree with mom, this needs to be discussed from a very early age. Fentanyl is the new boogie man!

I have been sober for 13 years from opioids. It’s the hardest thing I have ever done. Getting off of pain meds was way harder than fighting cancer! I’m so very sorry for your loss!! Much love! 💗💗💗

I LOVE that she's exposing the REAL DRUG DEALERS. We call them Dr.... May Joshua RIP 🙏🏾

R.I.P. sweetheart 😪🙏😪🙏we lost our beloved son he was 21 years old do to a tragic accident in 2017 my heart hurts to see any young kid’s die.loosing a child is any parents nightmare

It breaks my heart that it takes a tragedy for most to realize that “you need to be your own advocate” when it comes to doctors. The blind trust we place in these peoples hands is insane.

My husband had an accident working at Disney in 1998 he had back surgery and was given OxyContin for 3 years. They took him off abruptly and had to go to the hospital bc the withdrawals were so bad he thought he was having a heart attack. They switched him to Hydrocodone, a muscle relaxer and Methadone. Just recently in August of 2020 the doctor that had been prescribing him it for the past 15 years shut down his pain management clinic and my husband had to detox himself over the course of 1 mo and a half. He went to the hospital and they treated him like a junkie just looking for pills….. I mean he was looking for HELP. He now deals with pain from his knees that deteriorated over the years of doing tile work and just life as he is now 66 years old. They had him on over 200 pills of each opiate and 90 muscle relaxers a MONTH. He was dependent on them more than addicted. He wouldn’t take them on days he felt okay and THANK GOD because it gave him the pills he needed to wean himself down. He still battled for months with no doctors treating him like a person who was PRESCRIBED this by a doctor and got them from the same pharmacy for over 10 years

I’m lucky to be alive and in recovery from opiate addiction. I cry from gratitude because I got clean before the fentanyl crisis. I would have died knowing my love for opiates.

I remembered a dentist years ago gave me a prescription for pain killers after a deep cleaning. This dentist did not ask me any questions or initiate any discussions. I was floored how freely he wrote that prescription. I shredded it immediately. I thought it was excessive & not needed. I agreed with the mother's opening statement about the medical profession in the very beginning.

I’m sorry for your loss. My brother is an addict and sometimes it feels like a waiting game. It hurts so deep. The book is a beautiful tribute.. All the tears 🥺

Amen! 2 great points raised with your family' s testimony. 1. White coat drug dealers, Md's. ..pills are dangerous regardless if they are on a script or not. 2. Sibling mourning isn't addressed enough!! SIBLINGS ARE 3X more likely to change while watching their parents suffer the loss of a child, however. .. they end up being left out of their own important grieving of their own. We need to help stabilize All members of a poisoned victim family, AS UNIT. ❤YOU ARE SO STRONG , KEEP GOING!! 🙏

I've stopped trying to understand and I just have compassion

I watch my daughter go through this daily

I'm so sorry for yalls loss. I can understand his start and struggle because I too am addicted to opiates. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia years ago and pain meds was their answer. Now, I am a full blown addict that has trouble seeing any way out. I'm sorry for what Josh went through. May he RIP.

A mother should never loose her unconditional love ever 😞

The younger we go the better, totally agree with you Annie. Wish the governments involved believed that too. Very moving xx

Oh Annie that video is so powerful with a strong message. Well done.

My daughter's doctor got her addicted to legal drugs. She even doubled the dose once and ignored my daughter's question...why is there a poster in your waiting room warning us about this drug being addictive. She refused the higher dose and went cold turkey. Saoirse highlights the sheer agony of sibling loss which sadly remains hidden or ignored. More awareness of that and support is needed. It's incredible Annie has written a book for children. I hope it is widely read. Millions of children live/survive with addicted parents and many lose them. Keep writing if you can, Annie.

Incredibly sad I am so sorry for your loss.

Keep going you righteous people! RIP Joshua! God’s Blessings on you and yours 🙏🙏🙏

I was prescribed opioids for 10 yrs, I'm now on a Suboxone treatment. I certainly didn't ask for this!

I’m just so sorry. My heart is broken for Josh’s family and friends, and for all the people he didn’t get to touch.

Sorry for the loss of your son and brother.

As a PACU nurse I frequently saw patients being discharged with prescriptions for 120 OxyContin, even if they only had a minor procedure. It didn’t matter what we said as nurses about the patients becoming addicted, they just kept on prescribing.

R.I.P🤍🙏🏾🕊️ my prayers and condolences to his family, friends, love ones, and ALL who knows and loves him. I pray that his family, friends, love ones, and ALL who knows and loves him knows that he is no longer in pain and RESTING IN HEAVEN WITH GOD AND JESUS CHRIST AMEN🤍🙏🏾.

Thank You For Sharing Joshua’s Powerful Story 💙

I am so sorry for your loss....and you are correct we must teach the youth of the dangers of these killer drugs.....god bless you

What a brave, strong Mother! And the dignity! I am so so sorry for your loss. and your daughter is devastated too. The entire family is a wreck. I hope you will find peace. The peace can only come from God. RIP Joshua. You were loved!

I agree with the daughter say the most in talked about loss is sibling loss . I’ve lost 2 siblings ( both brothers) and it is very different to lose your siblings , that closeness you have, it’s been unbearable. 😢 I’m so sorry for this families loss . ❤

I'm so sorry for your loss. I pray that you all are able to find peace and comfort in the days to come.

So sorry for the lose of your much loved son

So grateful to hear that mother pushed through in a creative space to help and comfort as she may grieve. It’s so detrimental to hear it really breaks your heart but as your heart is still beating they are finding a way to live on and get the word out to those who are suffering with addictions. Prayers for all families.

I just had real bad back problems and they sent me to pain management . I only took oxycodone for 1 week and that’s it. Every thing else they prescribed me is still un opened. They asked me several times if I needed more my answer was no. I had a fear of addiction going in.

So sorry for your loss of your son.

Omg my throat feels choked up 😢 I’m crying 😭 my condolences goes out to this grieving family & any family dealing w/ a loss from fentanyl overdose 🥹

Physically addicted is one thing. The thing about opiates that people don’t see is the mental addiction to opiates. You will always crave that opiate high mentally for a long long long time after the physical dependence is long gone

I am so sorry for your loss but so glad you shared this story. It is so important to get the word out!!!

You're right. I just watched Spencer Wheeler's story, and know he had a sister, but we didn't hear from her.. how she's doing. and it's IMPORTANT for the siblings to know.. that they matter just as much as they ever did, maybe even more so... but the removal of that parent from normal connection, while they're in deep grief.. counts as another loss, to the sibling.

So Sorry for your loss This information must be put out there Just 1 time is all it takes and now there's Tranq causing you to lose limbs Wishing Josh well on his Spiritual Journey

Dearest Bell family you have my deepest sympathy and prayers 🙏🏻 xx

I'm so sorry for your loss,I pray God gives you peace that surpasses all understanding.

I am so sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing his story. 💔

These stories are so heartbreaking 💔- such a waste. Tragic all around 😢

My orthopedic surgeon kept prescribing percoset in large quanties to me. I kept telling him i "didnt need that many pills." He kept prescribing them. I took them to the fire department. I called his office one day and his nurse told me "she couldnt talk, the feds were in the building and she didnt know what was going on." My surgeon suddenly "relocated to southern Ohio." There is a prison in Southern Ohio. Five years later, he is practicing in Southern Ohio.

I give you my deepest condolences may God bless you and your family

So very sorry for your tragic loss 🙏💔😢

Yeah the so called “ pain management doctors” that are so busy with their practice… getting people hooked on a feeling. I suffer from cervical stenosis and have occasional flares of severe pain on my right shoulder. My doctor recommended I go see a pain management doctor. It took me months before I got an appointment( clear indication of how busy their practice is). At this appointment, I see an office full of patients that seem perfectly normal to me. After a 3 hour wait without seeing the doctor I asked for my file, tore it up and left. Till today, I struggle with the on and off pain. But, can’t help to think that I dodged a bullet by not getting any pain meds.

I became addicted to vicodin and valium, but I got sober about 16 years ago. Went to a treatment center. Coming off the vicodin wasn't too bad, but withdrawing from the valium (similar to xanax) was horrible. It went on for months. And I felt terrible, but I got off it all, with the help of a 12 step program. It saddens me when I hear stories like this one. Fentanyl is an evil street drug, very dangerous.

Excellent idea to write children’s books. Thank you.

As a society we need to treat addiction like the illness that it is

I am so very Sorry, I pray for your Family and for Healing from this tragedy. ❤

I’m so sorry for your loss. We lost our daughter to fentanyl in March of this year. She left behind her 12 year old daughter and 5 year old boy. We’ve been raising them both for the last ten years so they weren’t uprooted, but her loss has been heartbreaking. I just ordered “Josh and ZZ” Thank you.

Brave Saoirse. She says it all. Compassion for addicts. Understanding isn't always there but compassion you can give. Why are people not doing more to prevent the fentanyl crisis? Issuing Narcan is only a temporary solution but stopping the availability of fentanyl is definitive. Sorry for your loss Bell & Hernandez family. I hope the family's advocacy will help somehow/some one.

Thank you for sharing your greatest joy and pain…I am angry that an entire generation is being taken from us. Imagine all the beauty and art and technology that will never be invented because a light was snuffed out too soon…I want to help! How can I get involved Miguel Hernandez?

Thank you for sharing your story and I'm so sorry for your loss.

Yes!!! She said it! The drug dealers wear white coats! That was what started my addiction. I was in a bad 4wheeler wreck. They said I was too “young” for surgery, so I was sent to pain management for 3 years. My god it was so bad.

My deepest condolences to your family this breaks my heart

I'll never understand this. I've had oxycodone, endocet, endocodone, tramadal etc over the years for assorted rugby injuries and root canals usually emanating from said rugby injuries et al. I once had a major ear infection in both ears, inner and outer, at the same time in my late 20's. That was the first time I ever had oxy codone and it was great. Some people don't tolerate it well, but it works great for me etc etc and when I had shingles I couldn't wait for the next dose, but when all of these painful episodes were over I didn't crave any of them an iota. In some cases there's chronic pain going on, but not all. I just don't understand addiction like Saoirse said. I hope this Irish mother is successful in her attempts to educate young people!

Thank you mom. Keep up the good work. From another mom.

USA and their opiods. I am from the UK and find it unbelievable when I hear Americans are prescribed oxys for things like tooth removal. I am so sorry for ur loss 😪

The sister’s words just spoke to me, deeply. I see addicts all over the city streets where I live. I have passed many but with anger. I am often upset that they are living like that! But I have spent MANY hours trying to understand why they are doing this to themselves. But I have lost compassion. I must look at each of those sons, daughters, and siblings with compassion. Not an enabling type of my limited expression of sympathy. I need compassion. And I am literally praying for eyes of compassion because these addicts, unlike myself (at this time), are spiraling down (as the mother just said) in an out of control state.💜

This is tragic... and sad. In so many ways.. so sorry

It should be required that two doctors have to sign off on opioid prescriptions. So many of these stories are based doctors prescribing incorrectly and with no warnings. Other sources of pain management should be tried first. RIP Joshua❤

I'm so sorry to Josh's family. The pain is real.

Iam so sorry for your loss....I have a few myself and it has been rough...even for some i only know casually

In Canada the same thing is happening. The doctors prescribed Oxycodone to anyone with pain throughout the 90s and early 2000s. Then the pharmaceutical companies said whoops it is addictive. The country had a problem with people that didn’t need it getting high, so the Canadian government called on doctors to stop prescribing it or else they could lose their licence to practice. Doctors knew they had legit patients who needed it but cut them off, scared of losing their practice. I don’t blame them for that. What happened after that is a sad story. People looked to the street for whatever they could get and drug dealers took notice and started producing fake product for sale containing fentanyl. I blame our government! They are the ones with blood on their hands.

This is another example of why I never take pain pills, ever. It is a slippery slope and even the most careful person can become addicted w/o even trying.

Very honest firsr hand accounts from family. Devastating stuff. And yes, I concur. Why waste your time trying to "think" like an addict. Practice compassion instead. And ANY doctor incentivized to overprescribed a drug like Oxycontin - shame on them. THEY should be disbarred. And yes, per patient it should be monitored. And only a days worth of a drug given out if it as powerful as Oxycontin - not given bottles and bottles of addicting drugs - as if they are candy.

u have a beautiful family. he was so handsome and had such a light

Blessings and thank you for sharing your story-you are right we have to teach our young about these drugs-synthetics!

He was such a handsome man. What a damn shame. They ought to take his dr’s to court! Ps: that loud screeeeeching sound with the black n white screen was way too much!! From peaceful music to SCREEEEEEEECH!!!! OUCH!!!!!

Sorry, May He Rest In Peace

Josh & ZZ is an awesome idea. I vote for it.

CONDOLENCES 🌻 PRAYER'S

Wow RIP 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹Sad Story For Real 🙏🏻🌹 Joseph Bell's 🌹🙏🏻 it's made me cry so much 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢 From Edinburg Texas

May he RIP 🙏🏻✝️

So very sad. May God's grace touch you. Jon died of the same poison the same year..

I had 3 major surgeries in 9 months and prescribed opioids each time. I didn't need to take them much. Don't take pills until just because it's time . Wait until you absolutely cannot stand it. There are non addictive prescription pain killers

Just to think I was angry because my doctor prescribed Tylenol after my abdominal hysterectomy. I’m glad he did.

You cannot blame these Doctors fully. We have to take responsibility for our choices as well. Any medication that’s given to you should be researched by the patient.

Where was all this concern when black folk were caught up in The Crack Epidemic?

R.I.P JOSHUA BELL

GOD BLESS U & YOUR AWESOME FAMILY ❣ PLEASE, DON'T STOP RESEARCHING: REGARDING ANY DRUG, PERSCRIBED 4 ANY REASON, WHICH COULD & MIGHT END UP 2 THE DEMISE OF "ONE OF US OR A BELOVED FAMILY MEMBER: TRUTH BE KNOWN ❣❣ WE NEED 2 STAND UP 4 ALL OF US IN GENERAL !! WE NEED 2 HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE THAT SUITES US ALL THAT IS JUST & RIGHT (SORRY, STUPIDITY IS NOT ACCEPTED) ❣

God bless all the loved ones who are left behind from the evil that has robbed you from you’re loved ones..

Yes, schools should teach about drugs and how dangerous they are, even when a friend shared it with you.

I lost my ex brother in law March 9, 2002, to an Oxy OD. I was with my ex husband when we found out he lost his 25 year old brother, David. Never in my life would I have ever thought we would have lost him to drugs. I always thought Dave would be traveling & going on months long tours of his favorite bands. Dave was a year older than me & I had had a crush on his since 10th grade (even tho I had known him & his sister Jennifer since 7th grade). He was incredibly good looking & so fun to hang around, esp when we got into high school (his suuuuuper long ass eye lashes I will never forget). Dave used to make fun of people that smoked pot, until he started smoking around 10th grade. Dave always had a job in a kitchen, when we were younger. He eventually quit his job to follow the band Widespread Panic. I remember we got a phone call around 3am from his mom, saying he was in Atlanta in some hospital cus he had OD'D on something (I dont think it was oxy yet tho). His friends dropped him off & continued up the coast to follow the rest of the Widespread's tour. Dave got well & joined them a few days later. That was when I thought "what the hell are you taking David?" Then about a year later, he came back to Lincoln (Nebraska) to see us. He called his brother & was all happy to be home "dayum y'all are balling cus mom said you both have cell phones" & he laughed. That was on Thur. Sunday, March 9, 2002, 317pm...our lives changed forever. I know this is oxy & not fentanyl, but his 21st year of his death is approaching. I cry as I type this. His brother & I divorced in May 2003, but David will ALWAYS be my brother in law. David Scott Boop May 29, 1976---March 9, 2002.

Oxycontin should have never been able to be approved... FDA should be sued.