My niece sent me this heartbreaking obituary

[eyeontheprize]

Patrick Andrew Clemmons, age 20, of Little Rock, was found dead on the morning of January 6, 2011 at the apartment of a young man in downtown Little Rock. He was the victim of a likely heroin overdose.

Somewhere between school and scouts, graphic arts and swimming, wrestling and the local music scene, Patrick picked up a bad habit that ultimately killed him. His drug problem has impacted our last three Christmas seasons, and this morning has cost us our beloved son.

Patrick was born December 20, 1990 and had just turned 20 in rehab. We have been well pleased with his recent progress, but we knew he was at risk. He returned home Dec. 28, and after 77 days "clean", joined us for New Years Day with several of our friends. He had been putting in job applications and looking for a place to live. When he heard they were hiring at Victoria's Secret, he quit looking anywhere else. We last spoke to him yesterday afternoon. He declined to visit his counselor with his Mom but confirmed an appointment for today.

Patrick attended Episcopal Collegiate School where he was a 2008 State Wrestling Champion in the 130 pound small school division, and had been the only member of the swim team. Swimming conditioned him to wrestle better than football conditioned his opponents. Patrick was a Commended National Merit Scholar. But he did not graduate as scheduled in 2009.

Nevertheless, on the strength of his ACT scores, he received a sizable Dean's scholarship to UALR, but dropped out last fall when his difficulties with life began to worsen. Patrick earned his Eagle Scout at Troop 30 in 2004, which has been a big part of our lives since 1997. He had been a Brotherhood member of the Order of the Arrow and attended NOAC in 2004, had been to the National Jamboree in 2005, had been to Philmont in 2006. He had been successful as a young artist and won several awards, and spent a summer program at California College of the Arts in 2007. In 2008, he completed a 30 day program of winter-style backpacking at 10,000 feet in the Absoraka Wilderness with NOLS. 30 days in the snow with the same boots on.

It is hard to imagine how a young person finds drugs despite all the time and effort we invest to protect them from drugs and push them back in the right direction. But Patrick began to experiment with marijuana, and soon moved to LSD, opiates, benzodiazepine, and the rest. We began to note changes in his behavior in 2007, but he worked especially hard to help himself during 2008, and 2009. He always had a job and stayed highly active during this time. However, 2010 had been particularly challenging for him and for us.

He was a tower of will, but weak to temptation. He was bright and witty, but not smart enough sometimes. He was fearless and friendly, but too careless for comfort. He was thoughtful, when he thought things through, but often impulsive. He was like most of us, only different. He will always be our Eagle Scout wrestling champion, and will serve as an example of how the same life which offers us so much can sometimes touch us in a vulnerable spot. We pray God smiles on him today and wraps his arms around us, too.

Patrick is predeceased by his grandfathers, Earl H. Clemmons Jr., and E. Ray Day, and Uncle John T. Haskins. Patrick is survived by his parents, Skip Clemmons, Susan Day and brother, Colin Clemmons. In addition, his Grandmothers, Bennye Clemmons of Little Rock, Ellen Day of Greensboro, NC, Uncles Russell Day (Nancy Alex), Patrick Day (Jane) and Cousin Jolie Day all of Carrboro, NC. Cousin Olivia Day, of Denver ,CO, Aunt Evelyn Day of Chattanooga, TN, Uncle Neil Clemmons (Chris) and cousins, Alex and Shannon Clemmons of Wilmette, Il. Aunt Rose Gladner (Neal) of Little Rock. Aunt Jane Clemmons of SanFrancisco, CA. Aunt Heidi Haskins, Cousins, Kelli and Blaine Buck of Malvern, AR, Meaghan Gladner of New Orleans, LA, Janet Gladner of Fayetteville, AR and a host of other relatives.

http://www.ruebelfuneralhome.com/obituaryindividual.php?id=950

[Name removed]

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[DrDan]

2. what an absolute shame - so accomplished - seemingly bright future - RIP

[bluestate10]

3. Should be required reading for every teen. nt.

[Tesibria]

6. Yes. I just printed it out for my daughter ...

It's heartwrenching. And a cautionary tale to those kids who think they have it figured out and can do "great" in school AND do drugs.

[Sonoman]

4. As an ex-addict, I have seen and known so many Patricks.

I use the term 'ex' instead of 'recovering' because I will never recover or regain what I lost, the horrible pain I caused loved ones, or all of the wonderful opportunities that ended up warm in a spoon and Glory in my veins.

His poor family will now endure decades of "What Could We Have Done to Make a Difference?".

Lord, have mercy on us all - from an old guy named Sonoman to all of the Patricks to come.

Sonoman

[Chemisse]

7. This is heartwrenching.

I think it is lovely that the family chose to express themselves in the obituary this way.

[eyeontheprize]

8. It must have taken great courage

in their darkest hour.

[Frosty1]

9. I wonder if the"war on Drugs"

has actually had any impact on the death rate from drug overdoses. What started the movement was the death of Art Linkletter's son from drugs.

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. As a medic I either declared way too many Patricks

or transported way too many of them to the hospital... or brought them back with an agonist, only to find out they died a week later.

That does not mean I am all for the war on drugs.

[Changenow]

11. What is the solution?

These people seem to have tried everything.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. First make it legal

second realize that heroin is just a tad less addictive than tobacco.

Third, realize that we need to take the stigma off, so they can go into treatment.

In the case of Heroin train users in the use of the meds medics use to reverse an OD (this has been tried in San Fran with quite a bit of lives saved)

Oh and yes... sadly, some addicts will die regardless of all we do. But part of the problem is actually the fact that if any of these kids arrives at a local ER, at times they need to be reported to the cops, especially if they still have drugs on them., not in them, on them... not on board, in their clothes. It is a crime after all. This alone makes a lot of these kids avoid any help.

[mopinko]

14. we need to take the stigma off any mental illness,

so many addicts have undiagnosed mental illnesses that they are trying to deal with in their own twisted way.
and put money into treatment instead of prisons. the wrong people make money because of the useless war on drugs.

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. ye are singing my song

and people are making money, oodles of it, on both sides... that is actually THE problem in a nutshell

[Statistical]

16. "Oh and yes... sadly, some addicts will die regardless of all we do."

This is the reality. Cold but real. The only thing we can do is minimize the number of deaths (and lives destroyed). To do that requires the most effective deployment of time, money, resources.

The way to do that is not the pointless, expensive, and futile "war on drugs". Wars on nouns never work. Imagine if all the money spent on the war on drugs was spent on education, rehab, and post-recovery assistance for ex-junkies who want to go clean.

Ah what a waste.

[mopinko]

17. and research.

that we can't even seem to treat the obvious bipolar alcoholics properly, let alone have any real treatments for some of these fancy new drugs, like, ya know that heroin stuff, is the real crime here.

[GoCubsGo]

13. Reminds me of a kid with whom I went to high school.

He was brilliant. They pushed him up a grade or two. He was into "experimenting", too. That got him killed. He overdosed not long after he graduated from high school. What a waste. The same goes with this kid.