'He wasn't an addict. He made a mistake': Mother shares heartbreaking picture of her dying son, 22, in hospital after he overdosed on fentanyl in a bid to stop the 'out-of-control' opioid epidemic
- Sherri Kent posted a photo on social media of her son, Michael, in a hospital bed
- In the picture, Kent's 22-year-old son is unconscious and has a tube in his mouth
- 'I want everyone to know that my son Michael overdosed on Fentanyl,' she wrote
- Kent went on to say her son was not an addict and died after he made a mistake
A grieving mother is using the heartbreak of her son dying from an accidental overdose to warn people about the danger of opioids.
Sherri Kent, from Calgary, Canada, shared a picture of her holding her dying 22-year-old son - Michael - while he was in a hospital bed.
Michael is seen in the harrowing photo with a tube in his mouth and he appears to be unconscious. Kent is holding the 22-year-old's hand.
'I just want everyone to know that my son Michael overdosed on Fentanyl,' she wrote on Facebook.
Sherri Kent, from Calgary, Canada, shared a picture of her holding her dying 22-year-old son - Michael - laying in a hospital bed
She also wrote this message about her son's overdose, and urged people to keep their children away from drugs
'My son was not an addict he made a mistake that cost him his life. I just want to make everyone aware of the epidemic that's goin (sic) on right now.
'It's out of control and there is no way to protect our children from this other than to warn them of the dangers of drug use today.'
The emotional post continued: 'I've lost my son to this horrible tragedy and want to make parents aware that it can happen to anyone... Please share this with your family and friends to help prevent another tragedy.'
Kent told CBC her son met up with a man to take drug one day after he had first been offered them while out with his sister in Kelowna - about 240 miles east of Vancouver.
The 22-year-old turned the man down the first time, but a day later he contacted the dealer on March 14. The duo then took the drugs into a store bathroom where they used the substance.
'This gentleman had told my son he had some really strong heroin,' Kent told CBC.
'My son was not an addict he made a mistake that cost him his life. I just want to make everyone aware of the epidemic that's goin (sic) on right now,' Sherri Kent wrote on Facebook.
Kent was unable to hold back tears when discussing her son's overdose during an interview with CBC
'The other man got all sketched out and messed up and left my son in the washroom.
'About 20 minutes later, he was too scared to go back and check on my son… so he ran for the people who own the store to unlock the door and that's when they found him.
'He was already blue in the lips. By the time the ambulance got there he was in cardiac arrest.'
Michael Kent was rushed to hospital and placed on life support. He died after the support was switched off on March 21.
Michael Kent is seen in this picture from Facebook prior to his overdose and tragic death in March
'It's out of control and there is no way to protect our children from this other than to warn them of the dangers of drug use today,' Sherri Kent said. Her son, Michael, is pictured
Kent said her son took drugs in a store bathroom with the man who he bought them from in Kelowna - about 240 miles east of Vancouver
Fentanyl is a man-made opioid 100 times more powerful than morphine.
It can be severely harmful, or even fatal, with death usually caused by respiratory failure.
The drug is often sold in place of high-grade heroin.
Roughly 20,000 US overdose deaths in 2015 involved heroin or synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, according to the CDC.
The United Nations singled it out as one of the most dangerous drugs in the world last month, a move the organization hopes will help fight a wave of deaths being caused by the substance.
Prince's death last year was caused by a opiod overdose.
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