After losing her son to a fentanyl overdose in 2018, Fort St. John mom Heather Boswell has made it her mission to raise awareness over the opioid crisis and the impact of drug addiction to northern B.C. communities.
Children as young as twelve are overdosing, explained Boswell to Fort St. John City Council at their October 23 meeting.
“Between 12 and 18, the highest deaths are from overdose, in that age group,” Boswell said, noting kids need support to make educated choices.
A bereavement facilitator for Moms Stop the Harm, Boswell runs the Fort St. John Healing Hearts support program and has done so since 2020.
“I felt there was nowhere to go to talk. When my son died, I had nobody to talk to. When they say there’s lots of support in this town, there’s really not,” said Boswell. “And taking that step when your child dies is really hard.”
Boswell says participation in the program fluctuates, but when she receives a call from Northern Health to speak with a grieving parent, she’s always willing to lend an ear.
“I am not a certified counsellor, I’m just a mum who’s been there,” she said. Support meetings are held every the second Wednesday of each month at the Treaty 8 Tribal building.
Moms Stop The Harm was founded in 2015 by three mothers who had lost their children, explained Boswell, with the organization aiming to destigmatize the language around drug use.
“I’m trying to advocate for the stigma,” Boswell noted. “This town is small and there’s a lot of it - I get a lot of push-back, a lot. We’re trying to change the language, stop saying ‘crackheads’, say a ‘person struggling with addiction’ - just little changes, and it takes us to do it, to make people see things differently.”
Tensions with homeless encampments have influenced perceptions of the drug crisis, explained Boswell, with residents unfairly comparing the two - as there is overlap with those struggling with addiction. A need for local rehab centres has yet to be met.
“A lot of people die because they try and get off it themselves, and they’re trying to get into one of these treatment centres,” said Boswell. “And after a few months phoning everyday, ‘Can I get in? Can I get in?’ and being told no, they go out, they use drugs, their body’s not used to it, and they die.”
Mayor Lilia Hansen and fellow councillors thanked Boswell for her conviction and commitment to helping others, expressing support for the work being done.
“You’re not just a mom,” said Hansen. “You’re somebody that has had a piece of your heart taken from you, and I think that gives you the power to be able to relate to others that are gong through tough times.”
Councillor Trevor Bolin encouraged Boswell to keep in touch with the city for future initiatives.
“We have needed a treatment facility, a rehabilitation facility in this area for a long time,” said Bolin. “We have championed for it, we have gone after ministers of all of the different governments, if you ever have an idea, if you want to put something together - please reach out to us, let us be a part of that.”
“I applaud you for the empathy and the work that you do, very much behind the scenes within our community - as you’re not a not-for-profit, you’re not a for-profit, you are a mom that been deeply affected by the loss of your son, and you care enough to share your experience with other people,” said Councillor Byron Stewart.
