Remembering Daniel

This topic affects millions of people every single day. It is debated back and forth on social media, with many people lacking compassion for the families affected. Here is one of those families.

I was first introduced to Sara and Cam after Sara booked a family photo session with herself, 8 month old Cam and Daniel. The morning of our session I received a teary phone call asking if it was ok if it was just Sara and Cam, as Daniel decided not to join them for photos. When I arrived to the shoot I was surprised to see all three of them in matching outfits and ready to go. For the next 5 years I would be a listening ear for Sara as her and Cameron's relationship with Daniel went on the rollercoaster ride that comes with addiction.

It was easy to be angry when a person chooses drugs over two beautiful people. Sara's maturity and forgiving nature always shone through and at times it was hard for me to understand how she could be so forgiving. This person made up 50% of Cameron. She loved him no matter how much the drugs changed him. She held out hope year after year.

The addiction was just too strong. Daniel Passed away in July 2016 of a heroin overdose.

It is important for people to understand that everyone can be an opiate addict. Your mother after back surgery, your teen after wisdom teeth extraction, your best friend after a car accident. ANYONE. Rich, poor, educated, un-educated. It does not discriminate. It sneaks up on the prescribed. Once your prescription is up and you are dope sick a person has little choices. Buy pills on the black market at upwards of $30 a pill, buy heroin at $5 a bag. Treatment is an option for everyone as well but the success rate is slim and the chance of relapse is high.

For Daniel, his adult life started out in quite and honorable way. Dan enlisted in the Marines in 2007 and spent the next 4 years as a reservist. During his deployment training, Dan tore his ACL and was prescribed Percocet after his surgery. Soon after he was deployed to Afghanistan where he spent 4 months at Camp Leatherneck.

Like so many veterans, Dan returned from war a different person. His happy demeanor was gone. He struggled to assimilate to civilian life. Unbeknownst to his family, Daniel was using while on deployment to cope with his knee pain and eventually to cope with the stress and trauma of his deployment.

Dan reached out to the VA for help with his mounting depression and anxiety. In 2013 he was diagnosed with PTSD and declared 100% disabled.

His mother Debbie: "He finally admitted to his dad and I that he was dependent on heroin. He entered a comprehensive in-patient rehab program at the VA. Followed by a second transitional in-patient program. When he graduated the VA entered him into a work program on the Brockton Campus. He liked going to work everyday and made new friends. He was clean for months at a time but then he would relapse. He entered rehab another 4 or 5 times. Because of the relapses he lost the job with the VA, but continued his treatment there. He saw a Addiction Psychiatrist weekly as well as attending a group for Vets dealing with PTSD. There were many other doctor's appointments to address his many service related physical problems"

During this time Sara continued to try to maintain a healthy view of Dan for Cam's sake. As with most addicts, heroin took priority over family and that put an even bigger strain on Dan and Sara's co-parenting relationship. Through all the heartbreak I know all Sara ever wanted was for Cam to know the father that Dan could be. She was always holding on to a little bit of hope.

In June of 2016 Dan completed a rehab program and was thriving. His family had high hopes that the battle was under control and that they had their son back.

On July 7th 2016 Daniel lost his fight with addiction.

It has been a long hard road for Sara, Cam and Dan's family. With all the hurt, anger and sadness, there is forgiveness.

During the last part of our session, as they were holding the flag, the wind blew strong. There wasn't so much as a small breeze the whole time we were shooting but then this giant gust blew in and whipped Sara's hair all over the place. "that's Dan" she laughed. I thought the same thing.

“She loves him so but he didn't stay. The wind can't blow this storm away.” ― Phoebe Stone, Romeo Blue