24-05-2025
Loved ones advocate and raise awareness to battle opioid crisis
NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. (WFLA) — On Saturday, mothers, fathers and other loved ones gathered to spread awareness about fentanyl overdoses in Tampa Bay.
They handed out free Naloxone, which can reverse opioid overdoses, made signs, put up billboards, and shared their stories.
Each sign you see with a picture and a name along US-19 is someone's child and loved one who was killed by fentanyl.
Samantha Harvey lost her son, Joseph, in February of 2024.
'Joey was a great kid, he was getting ready to have a baby. He's forever 24,' Harvey said.
She said having support from other parents is what helps her cope.
'It's a great support system. It's been a great experience in such a tragic time. If it wasn't for these moms, I don't know where I would be,' Harvey said. 'I'm new with this, I'm fresh, I'm only 15 months in. They're all really strong.'
Tammy Plakstis created Dylan's Warriors in honor of her son, Dylan, who died in 2020.
'I felt like Dylan was always a special person, so it helps me cope to think, you know what, I'm going to help save lives through him,' she said.
Plakstis is always passing out Narcan, a brand of Naloxone, and teaching others how to use it. She said before she lost her son, she had no idea about fentanyl and Naloxone.
'Keep it in your car, keep it in your pocketbook, you never know where there can be a situation where somebody may have unfortunately been exposed to fentanyl,' she said.
She hosts several gatherings in front of the billboards she puts up.
'It doesn't discriminate, it happens to anyone, and you don't necessarily have to be an addict for this to affect you. It's hurt a lot of families here in the United States,' Plakstis said.
These mothers come together to grieve, advocate, and try to prevent other parents from having to experience their pain.
'Some people say, 'Well, how can you, how do you go on,' and I was one of those people that said if anything were to happen to my kids, I would've thought I was going to die,' Plakstis said. 'I know my son died for a purpose and the purpose is to save other lives.'
'I couldn't save my son, but the awareness can save lots of other daughters and sons. Our kids' lives mattered,' Harvey said.
These mothers want people to know that they are not alone. Below are resources available across Tampa Bay.
Hernando Community Coalition
Fentanyl Awareness Coalition
Behavioral Health Centers
Baycare
Haven Health
They said they will continue to fight to give their children, and others, a voice.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
