After his son, David, passed in 2017, Corey dedicated his time to educating himself about opioid use disorder (OUD)
"He was very talkative. Loved everybody would, you know, as they grew older, he would do anything for anybody. He would literally give the shirt off his back if somebody needed it.” Corey remembers his son as fun, loving, and adventurous.
After his son, David, passed in 2017, Corey dedicated his time to educating himself about opioid use disorder (OUD) and working to remove the stigma his son faced while he was alive. "It wasn’t until I educated myself that I realized it's not a parental failure or a moral failure. It's a brain disease. So yeah, of course, the stigma definitely didn't help in David's case." Today, Corey teaches people how to remove stigma for others experiencing OUD through his non-profit. He recognizes the power of sharing David's story and says, " I decided to share my story, you know, to get rid of the stigma still hanging around. It's still keeping families from helping their loved ones."
He says the best way to reduce stigma is “show some empathy and compassion for those struggling with substance use disorder. You know every person with substance use disorder has a, you know, mother, father, kids, parents.” Corey keeps David alive by sharing his story and making the community a more supportive place for others with OUD. You can make that difference for someone and their family, too.