Jared DeWayne Hoyt was born to a single mom on October 10th, 1985. He was my everything. As he grew older he started having feelings of abandonment from his biological father. No matter how much you’d try to tell him it was not his fault his father left, he wouldn’t believe you. Jared suffered from being sexually assaulted and it was months before I found out. He was 10 years old. He kept it bottled up and would not talk about it. Jared was teased in school for being overweight, but was always the protector of other kids being bullied and was the one that got in trouble. In middle school, Jared played football and wrestling. In wrestling practice one night he broke both bones in his leg and ended up in a cast up to his hip. He gained 100 pounds that next year, and that was the end of his sports career. 

I eventually got married and had 3 more sons. Jared loved his brothers beyond words but probably at times didn’t feel like he fit in. Jared had a heart of gold and would do anything for anyone. All of this before the age of 14 was more than he could handle. He started self medicating, trying marijuana and getting in trouble with the law. As time went on he started using meth and heroin. He was so lost in his addiction and tried over and over to climb out. I told him one day that I wanted to live long enough to see him happy and healthy. His words back to me were, “I’ve always felt I am going to die before you.”  Within a few short weeks, he did.

On the dreaded day of January 6th 2021, a deadly concoction of meth, heroin, and fentanyl  took his life. He died all alone, in his car, at the young age of 35.

Addiction is an illness, just like cancer or anything else. People don’t wake up one day and decide they are going to be an addict, any more than a patient decides they are going to have cancer. It can strike anyone.

Our mission as a team is to raise awareness of addiction and overdose that goes with it. To help find resources for those who need help, those that want help, and those who want to help others. To get rid of the stigma that surrounds addiction. Everyone deserves a chance. To prevent one more mom from getting a phone call telling her that her son or daughter has died.

It is time to take a stand.