Mother raising money to buy officers Narcan after son dies from overdose

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A Cobb County realtor lost her son to an opioid overdose, but she's turning her grief into a movement to save lives. Yvette Williams started working with the Cobb Realty4Rehab chapter to raise money to buy overdose reversing drugs for police officers to carry after her son's death in July 2016.

Yvette Williams lost her son Andrew to a drug overdose when he was just 21 years old. "He was not struggling as far as we knew with addiction, but we found him...that morning." Williams said. "Narcan couldn't have saved him, it was too late."

Her family's grief was immeasurable, but Williams knew this was her chance to help.

"I had to do something," Williams said.  "I want people to say his name. I love him and will always love him. He was a good kid with a good heart," said Williams.

She made a donation to the Marietta Police Department to outfit officers with Narcan--an overdose reversing drug. Firefighters and paramedics carry the drug, but police officers, who are often first to respond, do not have the drug on them. In 2018, in Marietta alone, police and first responders used Narcan 100 times and saved 90 lives--much of which was purchased by Williams.

After hearing the Narcan she helped purchase revived dozens of people, Yvette started a golf tournament to raise even more money for officers across Cobb County agencies.

"To us, it was an impact that allowed us to fight the opioid epidemic," said Marietta Police Officer Chuck McPhilamy.

Williams raised more than $30,000 from the first golf tournament. That purchased 411 doses of Narcan for six departments in Cobb County.

Her goal for 2019: to raise enough to get the Cobb County Police Department's officers outfitted with Narcan too.

This year's golf tournament will be held September 16, 2019, at Brookstone Country Club in Ackworth. Want to participate or donate? Click HERE.

Every referral they get, Cobb Realty4Rehab donates to community organizations that help with recovery from opioid addiction.