NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. — The Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy says 2020 was a year where the state saw a 50% increase in drug overdoses. 

That statistic is hard to hear and even more difficult when we consider the amount of families who are left behind because of addiction.

In Nicholasville, a mother and father remember their son and call for support groups. Carl “Dave” Edwards and Linda Edwards know their son Michael Edwards should be here today.

“Nothing in my life has hurt me like losing my son, he was my best friend,” Dave Edwards said.

Dave and Linda Edwards remember their 31-year-old son as a motorcycle fanatic and a dedicated father to his daughter. The Edwards knew their son as a good kid that just took a wrong path.

Michael Edwards smiles with his daughter for a photo in a park. (The Edwards Family)

They say his addiction started with pain pills at 15, gradually moving on to harder substances. January 28 2022 was the last time the Edwards saw their son alive.

“And I opened the door up and made sure he was alright. I said I’ll see you later buddy and he said I’ll see you later dad. That was the last words I heard him say,” Dave Edwards said.

“And then later on that day I happened to get on Facebook and the group called ‘What’s happening in Nicholasville’ and I see on there that people are asking what’s happening at a store real close to here. It’s already been said it was at Ollie’s and they said there was a man there that was found unresponsive. At that moment I knew that it was Michael,” Linda Edwards said.

First responders in Jessamine County tried their hardest with life-saving measures, but Michael lost his life to a fentanyl overdose.

The Edwards want to urge people to do something if they see somebody unresponsive, because it could mean life or death.

According to Van Ingram, Executive Director of Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy, he says overdoses across Kentucky have significantly increased. 

“2020 comes along, which is a year that none of us will forget, and we saw a 50% increase in drug overdose which is unbelievable,” Ingram said.

“All of this happened on January 28 when I got into Michael’s phone and I was able to check the messages,” Linda Edwards said.

Linda says those messages led to a conviction in their son’s case. It’s also what drove them to create a support group called Drug Awareness and Loss of Jessamine County for other families going through loss. 

“You have to think about the family members and how they’re going through things, what’s going on in their lives, we need to think about others instead of just ourselves. We need to start having compassion for others,” Linda Edwards said.

The Edwards family will host their next meeting for their Drug Awareness and Loss of Jessamine County on April 16 at 1 p.m. at the Shepherd’s House Community Center.