More than 110,000 people lost their lives to an overdose last year according to the CDC. A majority of those deaths involved fentanyl. One of those people was a teenage girl from Vermillion.
But last December, Jim and Jenny Orr lost their daughter to fentanyl poisoning.
“Our daughter did not go to sleep that night not knowing that she was not going to wake up the next morning. She was killed by taking a pill that was laced with fentanyl,” Kelcy’s mom, Jenny Orr said.
While nothing can stop the pain of losing a child, the Orrs are now a part of the Emily’s Hope support group, which has been therapeutic for them. They’re helping raise awareness, in hopes of saving lives.
“I know it’s going to be here forever, but just trying to get through day by day and Emily’s Hope helps with that and with the awareness and spreading the word,” Jim said.