- April 24, 2024
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Renee DeAngelis with a framed photo of her daughter, Savannah. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Kim Schattner. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Lauren Borg. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Cathy Dalton with her son, Billy. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Flagler County Commissioner Joe Mullins. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Monique Myers wears her younger brother, Randall Nuss' jersey as she speaks at the vigil. Nuss died at age 18 of an OxyContin overdose 18 years ago. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Chris Savoia. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Chris Savoia, Kim Schattner and Lauren Borg consider themselves the lucky ones.
They were among the speakers at a candlelight vigil in front of the Flagler County courthouse on Sunday, Aug. 29, to commemorate International Overdose Awareness Day.
The vigil was sponsored by the Flagler Countywide Opioid Task Force and the Flagler County Drug Court.
Charles Silano, the pastor at Grace Tabernacle and founder of Open Door Re-entry and Recovery in Bunnell, hosted the event.
Savoia, Schattner and Borg said they were lucky because unlike so many others they were able to deliver their testimonials.
They were all revived by naloxone nasal spray, sold under the brand name Narcan, after suffering potentially fatal opioid overdoses. And eventually they were all able take advantage of their second chances.
“If Narcan was not available I would not be standing here,” Savoia said.
"Narcan is not a treatment, not a cure-all, but it’s a lifesaver.”
CHRIS SAVOIA
Cathy Dalton said the Charlotte Correctional Institution did not release Narcan from the infirmary five years ago in time to save her son, Patrick.
With Patrick’s twin brother, Billy, standing behind her, Dalton spoke about her efforts to get Florida prisons to cut their red tape and release Narcan swiftly in emergency situations.
“People believe Narcan enables an addict’s using,” Savoia said. “But Narcan is not a treatment, not a cure-all, but it’s a lifesaver.”
Renee DeAngelis’ daughter, Savannah, died four years ago of a heroin and fentanyl overdose. A year ago, Joseph Colon, the person who sold her the drugs, pleaded guilty to second degree murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
“I’m here because I want to honor Savannah,” Renee said. “She was smart, pretty and the funniest human being I’ve ever known in my life. If I had Narcan in my home, it probably would have saved my daughter’s life.”
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly, speaking at the vigil, said his deputies have administered 91 doses of Narcan this year. The problem, he said, is drugs like heroin and fentanyl are getting stronger.
He said the Sheriff’s Office has investigated 16 overdose deaths this year, which has resulted in four arrests so far.
“We investigate these deaths as first-degree murder,” he said. “We hope that sends a message to the poison peddlers.”
When the Sheriff’s Office responds to drug or alcohol-related calls they take the person to the closest Marchman Act facility, which is in Daytona Beach, Staly said. But often it is full. The backup is the county jail, which is not desirable, he said, citing the need for a detox facility in the county.
Renee DeAngelis said a lot of people with Substance Use Disorder are fearful to come forward.
“It is a brain disease and can’t be helped without treatment,” she said.
“I could have been, I should have been one of the people you’re remembering today.”
JOE MULLINS, Flagler County commissioner
Flagler County Commissioner Joe Mullins said help is on the way with state and federal funding now secured to help open a mental health drop-in clinic in Bunnell and Pearl of the Sea Retreat of St. Augustine wanting to open a detox facility in the county.
Duke Vinson, Pearl of the Sea’s chief executive officer, said Flagler County officials are open to helping their community while many other areas are resistant to facilities being opened in their backyards.
“So many problems we have here come from other counties,” Mullins said. “But if we don’t deal with it regionally, we’re just moving it around.”
Mullins said he himself marked his 10th anniversary as a recovering addict on Aug. 16.
“I could have been, I should have been one of the people you’re remembering today,” he said.
At the end of the vigil organizers passed out Narcan, which everyone should have in their home, Renee DeAngelis said.
“It can’t hurt anyone,” she said. “We need to remove the stigma. We have teenagers dying from experimenting with one pill. Having it should be as common as aspirin.”
