Another fatality due to drug overdose in our community.
Robyn Michelle Zayon became something like the ninth young Jewish adult to needlessly die in the past year.
We bring in our experts. One day it’s a famous rabbi. The next day it’s an author with a moving book.
But we keep attending funerals. And we look around the sanctuary at the funeral home, and we see so many young people we know who are in recovery. And we worry about what they are thinking and where they are going.
Then we are reminded of groups like Eternity, which was formed to offer support for the parents of young people who have over dosed. The last thing Eternity wants is to see its membership ranks increase. Yet, this week in Baltimore that happened.
Goodness knows without the work of organizations such as the Jewish Recovery Houses or Jewish Addiction Services or JACS, the numbers of fatalities would probably be worse.
But we have a real problem on our hands here. We have an insidious disease that cruelly snuffs the life out of our young people.
For the Zayon family and friends and loved ones, we offer our support, our love and our prayers.
For the community, we ask you not to get charged up about this now and then fall into a condition of apathy. Drug addiction doesn’t peak when a person dies. It’s almost as if we only react to a tragedy. But day in and day out, it can be out of our thought process. For us to understand, to help, to offer caring support and programming to those in recovery and their families, we have to see addiction as a day-to-day struggle. It has no grand opening or peak, and for many it’s only got a terrible ending.
But also, many have shown that it can be overcome.
It’s not easy.
It’s gut wrenching hard.
God, we’ve got to help people succeed.

My deepest and sincere sympathy goes out to Robyns family. The one year anniversary of my son PJ’s death from a fentanyl overdose is next Sat. March 8th. It truthfully has been the hardest year of my life. He was 21, still lived at home and was my absolute BEST friend. We were so close and yet I couldn’t help him through his addiction. Recovery services didn’t work either. Just know without a doubt that she is still in your heart and will remain there forever. Even if your last conversation wasn’t what you wished it would have been, know she still loves you. There was nothing you could do to prevent this, you didn’t do anything wrong. TRY TO FIND A PYSCHITRIST and a psycologist that specilises in grief countsyling and preferebly a treatment called EMDR. It WILL help you through your worst grief. I found my son dead in his bed, I was alone in the house and for the 5-10 minutes it took for the EMT’s to get here I did CPR to no avail. PJ was already cold and blue and it was too late. I live with that guilt everyday. But, I know I did everything I could and it was just too late. Don’t blame GOD, ultimately the only blame lies on our son and daughter. They knew the risk they were taking but thought it could never happen to them.
I took my favorite picture of PJ to Walmart jewelry dept. and they made me a 14K gold color photo of PJ on a heart. I wear this constanly as it comforts me to some degree. You may want to do that also. My prayers go out to you and I will keep your daughter in my thoughts and prayers. I have to remind myself everyday that my son is in a better place now where the pain of addiction and living life day to day is now gone. I believe he is in God’s hands and I believe Robyn is too. Keep praying for her and take comfort in the fact that God has her now. It won’t stop the constant flow of tears when you think of her but it will comfort you.
God Bless, Terrie Gruver

Missing Robyn…

I can’t believe that I had to pick out clothes to wear to your funeral today.

It’s hard to comprehend that I will never get the chance to hear your voice, see your beautiful face and feel your loving hugs.

This all seems so incredibly surreal to me.  And like the weather, my mind is in a heavy fog.

The disease of addiction took your life, but it did not take all of the intangible gifts you left behind.

It did not take all of the memories that so many of us got to share with you.

It did not take your sweet, loving and caring Spirit that will be carried on by those of us that carry the message to others.

Peace, Light & Love,
Jenn B.