Obituaries
Family Posts Honest Obituary Telling Of Red Bank Man's Addiction, Overdose
When the prescription opioids ran out, he turned to heroin. He fought to get clean and was doing better. A momentary lapse took his life.
"To know Carter, was to love Carter. His beautiful smile and baby blue eyes would warm your heart in an instant."
That is how a Monmouth County family is remembering the son, brother and grandson they lost to opioid addiction last week. The obituary published in the Asbury Park Press not only recounts his kindness, it openly talks about his battle with addiction, which began with prescription painkillers.
Carter Armour Stone died Sept. 26 of a heroin overdose, the obituary reads. He was 32.
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His sister, Lauren Wright, told NBC 4 New York the family is talking about death of her brother, who grew up in Red Bank, in the hopes of saving someone else's life and that it "spreads awareness and reduces the stigma of who this drug is affecting."
They are not alone; other families have taken the same route, all with similar hopes: to reduce the stigma of addiction and get the focus on treatment that prevents deaths like Carter's.
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>> Related: 10 Young Victims Of Addiction, And The Honest Obituaries That Tell Of Their Deaths
"Unfortunately, in the last year of Carter's life, he used prescription opioids to cope with some stressful situations," the obituary reads.
A car accident and a back injury made matters worse, and when he could no longer afford the prescription opioids, he turned to heroin, his family said.
"In a matter of a couple months, heroin took a hold of Carter and never let go.," the family wrote.
He sought treatment and his sister told NBC he was attending support meetings and working full-time.
"Sadly, a momentary lapse of judgement resulted in a relapse that took Carter's life from him in an instant," his family wrote.
The obituary urges people to speak up if they know someone is suffering from addiction and suspect something is wrong.
"Please don't wait. It could mean the difference of life or death," the family wrote. "Most importantly, always tell your loved ones how much you love them."
Read the full obituary here.
Image via Shutterstock
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