HEALTH On Dec. 8, the air was crisp as Kimberly Douglas made her way to her son Bryce’s gravestone in National Harmony Memorial Park in Landover. It’s been nearly 18 months since she lost the 17-year-old to a fentanyl overdose. On this day each year, known as Worldwide Candle Lighting Day, families light candles honoring loved ones gone too soon, like Bryce. This day of remembrance is a stark reminder of the urgent need to prevent similar tragedies.
The pain of the day Kimberly lost her son is seared into her soul. She worked at her home office in Bowie in the early afternoon. Bryce was home early from school and napped in his bedroom, just one room away. When Kimberly found him unresponsive, she frantically searched her home for naloxone, a medicine that reverses an overdose and prevents death. In her panic, she couldn’t find it. It wasn’t until later, through tears of grief and disbelief, that she
