Breaking Fentanyl's Grip: Texas fentanyl deaths drop but Wichita Falls mothers still mourn
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, over 1,900 Texans died due to fentanyl poisoning from August 2023 to July 2024.
Though the state has seen a decrease in fentanyl-related deaths, two Wichita Falls mothers still remember the child they each lost on the weekend of September 17, 2022. They share their story and the advocacy work they do today.
'I just wish I could hold him one last time.' Brandi Melo, Kaysen's mother, said.
Kaysen Villarreal. Forever 13.
'I wish I could have done more.' Silvia Martinez, Alize's mother, said.
Alize Martinez. Forever 19.
The weekend of September 17, 2022, forever changed the lives of parents Brandi Melo and Silvia Martinez.
'It is a total nightmare every single day,' Melo said.
Melo describes her son Kaysen as the light in the room.
'If you were sad, you were down, he would cheer you up. He was always doing his little dances. He's played football ever since he was old enough to play football,' Melo said.
But the light Kaysen brought faded on September 18, leaving a hole in Melo's heart forever.
On that day, Wichita Falls Police Department arrived at the scene around 11:30 a.m. Kaysen was deceased.
A day, Melo says she lives on, again and again.
'I still wake up looking for him. I still go to bed when I go tell my other son goodnight. I still look for him. I wait for the phone to ring. My son Jason, he just turned 18. He's completely lost. Him and his brother were best friends,' Melo said.
Martinez found her daughter, Alize. The oldest of five siblings is described as a happy soul.
'She was the first girl. She was funny. Just all over the place all the time. She was always happy,' Martinez said.
On September 17, Martinez entered Alize's room to find her deceased after taking Percocets the night before.
'Finding her is forever burned into my memory,' Martinez said. 'It's so hard to realize or to see how much time has actually passed because no matter how much time has passed, it still always seems so unreal. It feels like it just happened yesterday.'
Both mothers are still living in the nightmare of losing their child.
'I know how bad it gets me down. I try to do my best to stay in high spirits for the most part. But it's hard every day,' Martinez said.
'I think by me being able to get up every morning and go to my job at Sober Living and help that next person that walks through those doors, I think that I don't know so to say I'm pushing all the grief and the feelings I have about Kayson and missing him away, but it just kind of giving back being able to help someone else, being that lot in their life, being that that person that they can lean on,' Melo said.
But through the heartache and grief, the two continue sharing their children's stories.
The two started 'Guardians Against Fentanyl,' a nonprofit to spread awareness and create a rehabilitation space, wanting families to know they're not alone.
'We can raise more awareness. Ever since putting up the page, I've had seven different families message me not knowing that it has impacted more kids than their children. I want to let moms know that they're not alone and it's okay to tell their story,' Martinez said.
'It's really important that we share Kaysen and Alize's story because they were known in this community,' Melo said. 'Kaysen was loved by this community, by so many. Kaysen, he had over almost 2000 people at his funeral.'
But even through the work, the missing puzzle piece in their lives will always be there.
Melo and Martinez, each wanting to love on their child one more time…
'I will keep his memory alive. And I'll never stop saying his name and telling his story. I'm sorry. That's what I'd tell him. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't save you. Melo
'I love and miss you every day. I hate that I couldn't save her,' Martinez said.
If you'd like more information about Sober Living, click here. For the Guardians Against Fentanyl Facebook page, click here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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