Mom to Mom: South Florida mother sheds ‘light’ on dangers of fentanyl

2 days ago 11

MIRAMAR, Fla. – On this week’s Mom to Mom, Local 10’s Nicole Perez sat down with a parent moving to amended the assemblage connected the dangers of fentanyl aft she experienced a devastating loss.

Mari Rodriguez mislaid her girl to the drug, and she has made it her ngo to marque definite this does not hap to anyone else.

“So, aft what took spot with Iman, I decided that there’s nary mode that her sanction was conscionable going to beryllium ended, lost,” said Rodriguez.

Rodriguez’s girl Iman was 18 years aged erstwhile she died from fentanyl poisoning. She said she suffered from migraines and her girl took a Percocet pill.

“She didn’t person a medicine for it But I’m definite that if idiosyncratic gave her 1 oregon thing and oof this feels large and present I’m not successful symptom I don’t person a migraine. Unfortunately, the Percocet that was fixed to her had fentanyl,” said Rodriguez.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl is simply a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.

Rodriguez said she noticed a displacement successful her daughter.

“She was a small spot much anxious Something was conscionable not sitting close Felt similar sometimes, you cognize her headaches volition springiness her vomit I didn’t cognize if it was the migraines oregon thing else. That’s however beardown that happening is, and it tin springiness you precise terrible significance, symptoms,” said Rodriguez.

The manager of the Pediatric Emergency Room astatine Broward Health Medical Center, Dr. Francis Amador, said determination are 2 property groups helium sees coming to the exigency country from fentanyl poisoning. Toddlers and teenagers.

“There’s the teenagers who possibly were not alert that they were getting fentanyl erstwhile they were trying to usage marijuana, oregon different pills,’ said Dr. Amador.

Dr. Amador says the infinitesimal you travel successful interaction with fentanyl, telephone 911 and get to the exigency country to let doctors to measure you.

“The astir important portion is prevention and acquisition of parents and the kids. Education schoolhouse is simply a precise bully astatine doing acquisition for prevention of the cause maltreatment and marque yourself alert of the broadside effects to admit oregon broadside effects and symptoms connected your child,” said Dr. Amador.

That’s what Rodriguez is doing done a instauration she created successful grant of her girl Iman, Iman’s Light Foundation.

“There were truthful galore things that I didn’t cognize that I didn’t spot that I wasn’t prepared, that I didn’t teach, that I had nary mode of guarding her, that I had to unfastened up the foundation,” said Rodriguez.

Her nonstop absorption is to amended children, youth, adults and communities connected the dangers of fentanyl and different deadly drugs.

“I spell to schools. I spell to centers. I spell to companies. I spell to genitor groups. I Go to foundations. I besides administer Narcan successful bid for radical to person it,” said Rodriguez.

Narcan is the marque sanction for Naloxone, which is an opioid antagonist. Naloxone is simply a medicine utilized to rapidly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Rodriguez thinks everyone should person it connected manus successful lawsuit of an exigency due to the fact that it tin prevention a life.

Rodriguez wants parents to beryllium alert of what their children are doing.

“I privation them to not beryllium acrophobic to check, backmost packs, to cheque things. I privation them astir importantly to physique a harmless spot for them to speech to their kids, to fto them cognize truthful that the kid feels that there’s a spot that they tin speech to, idiosyncratic they tin speech to and that determination volition beryllium nary repercussions,” said Rodriguez.

Iman’s representation inactive lives passim the home. Her art, JROTC awards and her apparel inactive bent successful her closet.

For Rodriguez, she has made it her life’s ngo to marque definite nary household goes done what she has.

“Life without your kid is not a life,” said Rodriguez.

The location precocious passed the HALT Fentanyl Act, which results successful harsher sentences for possession of the drug. The measure present awaits President Trump’s signature.

Iman’s Light Foundation is holding a fundraiser successful October. For much accusation astir the instauration and however to donate, click connected this link.

To item a ma who makes a quality successful our community, nonstop america an email astatine MomToMom@wplg.com.

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