John-Bryan ‘JB’ Jarrett lives with devastating brain injuries after overdosing on fentanyl. Despite the uncertainty of his prognosis, his mom, Jessica, is by his side 24/7
A couple of years ago, I began investigating non-fatal overdoses.
Coverage of the US’s opioid crisis has largely focused on lives lost. But through my cousin Mason, I saw another toll of the epidemic: the people who survive overdoses but are left with devastating disabilities.
Watching his and his parents’ struggles – and knowing he was not the only young overdose survivor in a nursing home – I wondered: how many people like Mason were out there? What happens to them, and how do their families cope?
I quickly learned that no one is tracking these cases. There is no official count of people living with overdose-related brain injuries. But through Facebook groups and GoFundMe pages, I began to connect with families going through similar ordeals.
