TOPEKA (KSNT) – Families and advocates gathered in Topeka Monday night for a candlelight vigil honoring loved ones lost to overdose and supporting those still struggling with addiction.
The gathering was held in recognition of National Overdose Awareness Day, which is observed each year to remember people who have died from overdose and raise awareness about prevention. Amber Burger, one of the founders of the local organization behind the event, said the vigil allows families to grieve together while reminding people struggling with addiction that they are not alone.
“This is a day where we all can come together and honor the loved ones that lost to overdose and those that are still struggling with addiction and let them know that we’re here,” Burger said.
Health professionals said recognizing the signs of an overdose can be critical. One of the first warning signs can be a change in someone’s level of consciousness, including suddenly nodding off, becoming extremely fatigued or being unable to respond.
“The first signs of an overdose are a change in consciousness levels,” said Dr. Dave Rabin.
Rabin also warned that someone experiencing an opioid overdose may appear to simply be asleep.
“Oftentimes people just think somebody is asleep and they don’t do anything and it’s too late,” Rabin said.
If someone is unresponsive and may not be breathing, people should call 911 immediately. Naloxone, commonly known by the brand name Narcan, can reverse an opioid overdose. Burger said having access to the medication is an important part of preventing overdose deaths.
“Naloxone cannot hurt anyone,” Burger said. “It can do no harm at all. All I can do is good. It doesn’t enable anything except for breath.”
Fentanyl was another major focus of the vigil. This synthetic opioid can be mixed into other drugs, sometimes without a person knowing it is present. Kansas state Representative Pat Proctor said that can make experimentation especially dangerous.
“Most of the people who die, if they don’t know they’re taking fentanyl, they think they’re taking a Percocet, they think they’re taking a Xanax, and it’s actually fentanyl, and it kills them,” Proctor said.
Proctor said Kansas lawmakers have worked to increase fentanyl education in schools and expand access to naloxone.
“We got a fentanyl education mandatory in our schools… we were able to get the money so that we could require schools to have naloxone on hand so that if, you know, something happens during the school day, they can respond fast,” Proctor said.
For Burger, the issue is personal. She lost her daughter, Kaylee, to fentanyl. Burger said she wants people to remember Kaylee for who she was, not just for her struggles with addiction.
“She was the silliest person you would ever meet… she loved to dance and sing,” Burger said. “And she was more than her addiction.”
Burger now uses her experience to help other families and encourage more open conversations about addiction. She said reducing the stigma surrounding addiction can make it easier for people struggling and their families to ask for help.
“The more we have these open, honest conversations with the youth, with the community, the more it breaks that stigma down,” Burger said.
Burger also encouraged families to continue supporting their loved ones and make sure they have access to resources that can help keep them alive.
“Your loved one still matters… let’s just keep them alive and make sure we have access to all the tools to keep them alive… and just be that safe person for them to come talk to,” Burger said.
The candlelight vigil gave families a chance to remember those they have lost while continuing conversations about overdose prevention, treatment and recovery. For those gathered, the message was about more than remembering a death; it was about remembering the life that came before it.
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