4 years after son's death, a Vancouver mother marks overdose awareness day

Sharene Shusterwears a golden, heart-shaped locket around her neck with a fingerprint engraved on it.

Inside are some of the ashes of her oldest son, Jordan Hunter Carhoun, who died in 2018 at the age of 25, after smoking what he thought was heroin but turned out to be fentanyl.

Shortlyafter Jordan died, Shuster learned about international overdose awareness day. She brought a picture of him to an event in downtown Vancouver where shewas introduced to Moms Stop the Harm, a network of mothers and families who have been directly affected by the toxic drug crisis.

On Wednesday, a few weeks afterthe fourthanniversary of Jordan'sdeath, she's markingoverdose awareness day with that same group of motherswho are equally committed to ending the drug crisis.

"Thishas been going on since 2016 and it's just heartbreaking,"Shuster said in an interview with CBC.

"We need a safe supply. We need to stop this."

WATCH | Sharene Shuster talks about her son and the ongoing opioid crisis:

Remembering lives lost on Overdose Awareness Day

2 years ago

Duration 1:25

Since losing her son to an overdose in 2018, Sharene Shuster has joined other activists in asking for more to bedone about the ongoing opioid crisis. This Overdose Awareness Day, Shuster and other affected family members will gatherin memory of their loved ones and to draw attention to their cause.

'Jordan was different'

Jordan Carhoun was born deaf and receiveda cochlear implant when he was two years old. Hequickly learned to sign, read lips and eventually speak while he was growing up.

Shuster says he was an honour roll student who learned French and Japanese in school. He was popular, outgoing and happy; heloved animals and sports.

But toward the end of high school, his mother says things got difficult for him.

"Jordan was different," she said. "When the girls came in, he got teased and that's when the depression started."

Shuster says a friend introduced Jordan to heroin and he quickly became addicted. But it wasn't until months later, when his girlfriend Jasmine caught him smoking the drug, that the family found out.

Shustersays he was "so embarrassed" andtold his family he wanted help to get off the drug.

She remembers calling rehabilitation centres and being told the wait list was four to five months long. The family was lucky enough to know someone working at Together We Can, an addiction treatment centre, andJordan was quicklyadmitted through their connections.

"He was on a road to recovery. He had gone to rehab, he was doing amazing,"Shuster said. Then Jordan learned that two of his friends that he'd met at rehab had died and he relapsed.

"He went out and what he thought he was purchasing was heroin," she said.

Jordan's autopsy report showedhe hadingested 100 per cent pure fentanyl.

"He didn't have a chance."

Breaking the stigma

Shuster points to Jordan as an example of the toxic drug crisis being pervasive acrossBritish Columbia andnot confined to Vancouver'sDowntown East Side.

The family lived in Vancouver's west side and Jordan attended private school through to Grade 12.

So many of the people who are dying are teenagersand young adults, struggling with mental health problems and using on their own, Shuster said.

The day he died, Jordan wasfound by his girlfriend, slumped over the bathtub in the basement apartment the two sharedat his parents' house.

Shuster believes he, andcountless other young people who have died since 2016,useddrugs as a coping mechanism.

"They're not there to get high and to party,"said Shuster. "They're self-medicating to ease the pain and escape."

On Wednesday, Shusterand other mothers, fathers, family members and friends will be wearing purpleand gathering to honour the loved ones they've lost.

B.C. Place, Rogers Stadium, Science World, Burrard Street Bridge, City Hall and other locations around the city will shine purple lights as part of overdose awareness day.

"And also all along Robson Street there's ribbons tied all over the place with our kids names," she said.

On the ribbon for Jordan, Shuster will provide details about her son:"Telling people: He was 25. He was an electrician.He had a live-in partner. He had siblings, friends, family."

Across Metro Vancouver there willbe several events offering training in first aid and handing outnaloxonekits a drug used to temporarily counteract opioids. There will berallies calling for safe supply, organizations handing out testing kits and tested drugs as well ascandlelight vigils remembering those who have died.

"Our goal is just to raise awareness, stop the stigma and save lives," said Shuster.

"Every minute, every hour, I think of my son."