A Mother’s Fight Against Fentanyl

Deborah honoring her daughter, taken too soon by fentanyl.

Ava Michelle was a bright, active teenager. “She was a cheerleader for 13 years,” Deborah recalls, “a competition cheerleader right up until her last year of high school. She was a good kid. Really, she was.” But behind the smiles, Ava struggled through her teenage years.

“They put her on Zoloft, then Prozac, then Ritalin. She was on so many drugs, and I’d have to call the doctor because she wasn’t acting right,” Deborah says. “One day she would be up and driving me crazy, and the next, I couldn’t get her out of bed.” Despite careful monitoring, Ava often struggled to cope, and the medications made things worse.

By her late teens, peer pressure and exposure to older adults introduced Ava to alcohol and other drugs. “Even people who I thought were my friends gave her alcohol, even though I explained she couldn’t drink on her meds,” Deborah recalls. What began with legal prescriptions escalated to heroin. “She was immediately addicted. She knew it, and she was in shock that she got addicted to anything.”

For a short time, Ava entered a treatment program to manage her withdrawal symptoms and briefly had stability. “When she started that program, she came back to me,” Deborah says. “It was the first time I saw her fight again.” Yet treatment options in Pennsylvania were limited. “She had to go to Florida. It was what families call the ‘Florida Shuffle’—rehab to rehab, trying to find help. In 18 months, the fees had accumulated to $1.5 million between all the facilities,” Deborah says.

Then tragedy struck. “She thought she was taking something else, but it was fentanyl,” Deborah says. “She never woke up.”

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid up to 50 times stronger than heroin, has become the leading cause of overdose deaths in the US, often hidden in pills or mixed with other drugs.

Ava was not defined by her struggles alone. “She was artistic and creative,” Deborah says. “Even though she battled mental health issues and addiction, she loved to paint and write. That side of her life brought her joy, and it was a reminder of the bright, vibrant girl she really was.”

Now Ava is featured in the new Truth About Fentanyl booklet. “Her story can save lives,” Deborah says. “If even one child decides not to use fentanyl after reading this booklet, then her death has not been in vain.” She adds, “I’m proud that Ava will continue to help educate others, even after she’s gone.”

“She thought she was taking something else, but it was fentanyl. She never woke up.”

Deborah has turned her grief into advocacy. “I’ve participated in community events, spoken to lawmakers, connected with families who’ve lost children,” she says. “Education is vital. Kids today don’t know about the dangers of fentanyl. They see it online, on social media. They need the truth before it’s too late.”

She emphasizes the emotional toll on families. “The heartbreak, the fear, the uncertainty of where treatment will be available next—it’s overwhelming,” she says. “I want parents to know they’re not alone. Sharing Ava’s story is a way to give them support and guidance.”

But Deborah also stresses that prevention is possible. “If young people get accurate information early, they can make better choices. That’s why these booklets, these events and this education are so important. It’s about giving kids the knowledge to protect themselves before it’s too late.”

Ava’s life continues to inspire action. “Millions of people will learn the truth about fentanyl. That’s Ava’s legacy—educating millions and saving countless lives from this deadly drug.”

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