Black Balloon Day: Remembering those lost to overdose while promoting awareness and treatment

**Photos courtesy of Karen Kidd and Pam Navey**

BY DEBBIE PAGE

Each year on March 6, families and loved ones across the United States come together for Black Balloon Day to honor those lost to overdose. The tradition with Diane and Lauren Tremblay’s efforts to cope with the loss of Greg Tremblay, who died at age 38 on March 6, 2015.

Because drug overdose remains the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S., Black Balloon Day is a time to remember those lost, reduce stigma, raise awareness, distribute harm reduction measures, and support those impacted by substance use disorder.

About 100 people attended the second annual Black Balloon Day event at Fifth Street Ministries on Thursday, organized by Foundation of Hope Ministries and supported by the Drug-Alcohol Coalition of Iredell, Goodwill of Northwest North Carolina, the Iredell County Health Department, Carolina Complete Health Care, Kintegra, Integrated Care of Greater Hickory – Statesville, Salvation Army, the Statesville Police Department, McCloud Center, and Partners.

These organizations provided attendees with resources about substance use disorder and treatment options, mental and physical healthcare information, and employment help. They also distributed Narcan and prescription lockboxes to help prevent overdose deaths.

Foundation of Hope Ministries Executive Director Karen Kidd explained that this national day of recognition uses a symbolic black balloon to remember and honor each life lost to overdose and substance use disorder.

“We wanted to create awareness of overdose dangers and help the community access resources that will help prevent future overdoses,” she said.

Kidd works with unhoused people every day, including many individuals who have mental health issues and self-medicate with alcohol and illicit drugs.

“We do this every year because we face and see overdose all the time,” Kidd said.

She recounted the story of one man who was resuscitated with Narcan and is now in recovery. He is employed, thriving, and has regained custody of his child.

Another individual she is currently helping is a family man who goes to work each day and church each Sunday. Addicted to fentanyl, he overdosed this week and was found by a family member and required four doses of Narcan to be revived.

Fortunately, Kidd had given the family the Narcan, provided by DACI, a few days prior to his overdose.

“Without that access to Narcan, he probably would not be here today,” she said.

The man is now receiving medical help. Kidd is assisting the man and the family with support and treatment resources to help him move toward treatment and recovery.

“He was not the kind of person to reach out for any resources. He did drugs in darkness and didn’t seek help because of stigma,” added Kidd.

Pam Navey, Foundation of Hope Ministries board member and a part-time SPD community resource coordinator, said that one man who have survived an overdose came to the event to talk to the organizations present and look for resources to gain strength and encouragement toward treatment and recovery.

“Clearly, our goal is that these resources are not hard to access,” she explained. “People need to be willing, understand and accept their addiction, and ask for help. In this community, we have a very active and positive, non-judgmental group of organizations that support treatment, provide the follow-through, and continue to support them in their lifelong recovery journey.”

Kidd said just because people who fall into addiction, many from using prescription opioids after medical procedures or injuries, “do not know how to escape the madness once it starts until you find somebody that understands and can help them with that.”

“A lot of people have no idea where to go if they have an issue until it’s out of control,” she added. “They definitely don’t know where to go if it’s not easy to access.”

Kidd said many are refusing opioids after surgeries because of the increasing awareness in the community of the slippery slope of using these highly addictive drugs, choosing to deal with the pain in less dangerous ways.

“One bad tooth and 10 oxycodone could leave a person craving that feeling.”

Navey said the organizations are working to increase awareness, reduce overdose, and to change and save lives.

“That’s the bottom line. That’s why so many of us work so hard every day,” she said.