Trevor F.

By Trevor's mom, Pati

Trevor French

July 31, 1993 - July 16, 2016

Iowa

Trevor loved to make people laugh. He wanted everyone around him to be happy. He loved playing football and wrestling in high school. He was a very hard worker. My favorite memory is a time when the whole family was raking the leaves in the yard, and Trevor ran up to me and grabbed me and tickled me. I asked him what he was doing and he said “Ma, you need to smile more in this life, I love to hear you laugh”.

Trevor was first prescribed meds around 9 years old. He was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome at 12 and bipolar I around 14; and he soon learned a pill could make things better for a while. After a few sports related injuries he soon discovered opioids. OxyContin. That started at 18 and he was never the same guy again. He passed away 14 days after completing his last treatment stay. He had been clean for 7 months.

His dad found him, after we hadn’t heard from him in a day. He had moved to a different town to try to get away from the drugs in our hometown. We have done therapy and I still continue to go weekly. We have had huge support from our town. I speak publicly and tell Trevor’s story in hopes that no other family has to live through this. He left behind his parents, an older brother, Tyler, and a younger sister, Breanna. Breanna has graduated from college and will be starting graduate school to be able to counsel and assist those that struggle like her brother did.