'Shame doesn't matter right now': Couple reveal daughter's heroin overdose in obituary in hopes of preventing 'agony' for others
- Alison Shuemake, 18, and her boyfriend, 31-year-old Luther Combs, were found dead on August 26 in their shared apartment
- Shuemake's parents, Fred and Dorothy McIntosh Shuemake, put in Alison's obituary that she died of a heroin overdose
- It is rare for people to cite heroin in obituaries, even though the use of the drug has nearly quadrupled over the last decade
- Combs's family also included that he died of a heroin overdose in obituary
- The Shuemake family hopes that the inclusion of Alison's cause of death will keep other people from trying the drug
When a retired police detective's 18-year-old daughter died of a heroin overdose, he and his wife decided to be straightforward with the cause of death in the her obituary.
'Shuemake, Alison Michiko Age 18, of Middletown OH passed away Wednesday, August 26th, 2015 of a heroin overdose,' the obituary opened.
Fred and Dorothy McIntosh Shuemake aren't the first grieving American parents to cite heroin in an obituary, as such deaths nearly quadrupled nationally over a decade. But it's rare, even in a southwest Ohio community headed toward another record year in heroin-related deaths.
Alison and her boyfriend, 31-year-old Luther Combs, were found dead on August 26 in their shared Middleton apartment.
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Alison Shuemake, 18, and her boyfriend, 31-year-old Luther Combs, were found dead of suspected heroin overdoses on August 26 in their shared apartment in Middletown, Ohio
Alison's parents, Fred and Dorothy McIntosh Shuemake (pictured), included in their daughter's obituary that she died of a heroin overdose in hopes of raising awareness of the deadly drug
Fred Shuemake, father of Alison, pauses during an interview at his home, in Middletown, Ohio, on Wednesday
A high school graduation picture of Alison, center, and her parents Fred Shuemake, left, and Dorothy McIntosh Shuemake, rests on a table at her parents' home
Before Alison's obituary was published, her mother called her boyfriend's family to let them know of the plan to name the drug in her obituary. They had no objection.
A few days later, his was published: 'Luther David Combs, 31, of Middletown, passed away Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015, of a heroin overdose.'
'There was no hesitation,' Dorothy said of her daughter's obituary. 'We've seen other deaths when it's heroin, and the families don't talk about it because they're ashamed or they feel guilty. Shame doesn't matter right now.'
Her voice cracked as she sat at a table covered with photos of Alison: the high school diploma earned this year, awards certificates and favorite things such as her stuffed bunny named Ashley that says 'I love you' in a voice recording Alison made as a small child.
'What really matters is keeping some other person, especially a child, from trying this... We didn't want anybody else to feel the same agony and wretchedness that we're left with,' she said.
Alison had recently joined a salon staff after being recruited by a manager who admired the way she did her hair and makeup.
She and her boyfriend, Combs, both had two jobs and moved into an apartment together a few weeks ago.
Courtesy Journal-News
Alison and her boyfriend were found dead after they didn't show up do do laundry at her parents' home on August 25. Combs' family, too, included that he died of a heroin overdose in his obituary
Alison was recently hired at a local salon after the manager admired the way she did her hair and makeup. She had just bought her first car and lived with her boyfriend in an apartment with another roommate
Alison's parents said they talked with their daughter about the dangers of drugs and aren't sure what else they could have done to save her
Alison, who had been in rehabilitation months earlier for alcohol and marijuana abuse, seemed happy and proud, her parents said.
They were expecting the couple over to do laundry the night of August 25. When they didn't show up, Dorothy phoned and texted without answer. At about 3.30am, their roommate called: 'Something's wrong'.
Dorothy rushed over to the apartment and saw immediately both were 'definitely gone'. She spotted a needle on the floor.
She and Fred, a retired Middletown police detective who investigated crimes against children, want to promote a potentially preventive dialogue about what the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls an epidemic.
In Butler County, where the Shuemakes live, the coroner's statistics show heroin-related deaths jumped in two years from 30 to 103 in 2014, with 86 recorded already through the first six months of this year.
Their decision has drawn a wide outpouring of support, both locally and on social media, with online comments and emails from around the world.
Dorothy McIntosh Shuemake looks at a table of pictures and mementos of her daughter. She wants to raise awareness of how deadly heroin is so that other families don't face the same agony she has
Dorothy McIntosh Shuemake pauses as she looks at a picture collage of her daughter during an interview at her home on Wednesday
Scott Gehring, who heads the Sojourner Recovery Services addiction treatment nonprofit in Butler County, praised the Shuemakes' 'strength and foresight' to draw attention to heroin's role.
'That's something that needs to happen. People die of overdoses and it gets swept under a rug,' Gehring said. 'Until we as a society are willing to acknowledge that it is here and affecting all of us, we're going to continue to see the death count rise.'
A search of 'heroin' on the Legacy.com site with obituaries from more than 1,500 newspapers found only a handful, including Alison's, in the last month.
One was from the Ventura County Star in California, describing Cameron Kean Crawford's turquoise eyes, his talent in art and technology and his placid demeanor until 'heroin unraveled his life, causing his shocking demise from an overdose on ... his 34th birthday'.
Alison's obituary calls her a 'funny, smart, gregarious, tenacious and strong-willed teenager with gusto'.
Dorothy McIntosh Shuemake shows a recent picture of her daughter, Alison Shuemake, right, who she described as having a love for 'sparkle,' which she said also described her personality
Alison, pictured here as a daughter in a craft that reads 'I [love] u mom', was described as 'funny, smart, gregarious, tenacious and strong-willed teenager with gusto' in her obituary
Dorothy McIntosh Shuemake holds back tears as she speaks of her daughter's death. She said 'too many people are dying' from the deadly drug heroin and she wants to change that
Dorothy smiled as she talked about Alison's love for 'sparkle,' which she said also described her personality.
Fred and Dorothy Shuemake told the Dayton Daily News that they talked with their daughter about the dangers of drugs and aren't sure what else they could have done to save her.
The couple sent Alison to rehab and monitored her actions while she was in and away from their home, but she still made the decision to use heroin.
'I’ve wracked my mind about that. I don’t know what we could have done to change this,' Fred said.
The Shuemake family's heartbreaking story is one that Fred and Dorothy want people to hear and share, the couple told WLWT.
'They don't understand that his can and most likely will kill you,' Fred said.
'Too many people are dying. I'd give anything, I'd give everything to have her back,' Dorothy added.
If you or someone you know is suffering from substance abuse, get help from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at 1-800-662-HELP or samhsa.gov.
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