Eric B.

By Eric's sister, April

Eric Shawn Burg

My brother was my idol. I always looked up to him. He always had my back, and I his. We loved anything to do with the woods or the ocean. We were born in Georgia, but Florida was our home no matter how many times we left it. Eric made friends pretty quickly all through life, and rightfully so. He could make anyone laugh with a joke or a silly face. He would help out anyone in need without hesitation and expect nothing in return.

We came from a hard place in life that never quite left him. He struggled for years with depression and physical pain. There were no tell-tale signs that things were out of hand – it crept up, slow and silent.

We’d always had each other’s backs no matter what, but this time, I felt like I didn’t have his. I tried to help him and blamed myself for not doing enough, but that’s not the reality. The reality is this epidemic is taking these beautiful souls from us. I lost my best friend, my children lost their uncle, and our mother lost her son.