We have shared several posts about families who have lost loved ones to drug abuse and who are now reaching out to other families in order to share their experiences and hopefully help save a young life.
We found yet another family who is using their loss as an inspiration to help others. A feature on MLive.com shares the story of Mike and Corinda Hirst, who lost their son Andrew to drug overdose.
Andrew had been through quite a few scrapes in his young life. He has spent time in jail, a hospital, and rehab, and at one point had even tried to help the police catch drug dealers. His father Mike had gone all the way in trying to help his son and keep him drug-free. Andrew’s family shared that he hated heroin and was ashamed of his habit – but had difficulty staying away from it.
The young Hirst tried to kick the habit several times, as shared by his father. He willingly went to Brighton hospital for using oxycontin in 2008. According to Mike Hirst, Andrew was drawn to the substance by his high school friends. He eventually switched to heroin, which was said to be a cheaper alternative.
Andrew died after buying heroin from 18-year-old Amanda Ball, who was arraigned on Wednesday afternoon and charged with providing heroin and delivering a controlled substance causing death. If convicted, Ball may face imprisonment for life.
The Hirst family, including Andrew’s sisters Jill and Karey, would like to do what they can to assist authorities in fighting the distribution and use of heroin. While Andrew was not saved in time, “we are going to save someone else.”
Tags: andrew hirst, drug abuse death, heroin abuse, hirst drug abuse, oxycontin abuse
