Aug. 31 is Overdose Awareness Day, and News4JAX is teaming up with local organizations hoping to save lives. The main culprit behind the surge in overdose cases we’re seeing in our area is fentanyl.
As Director of Pharmacy at Orange Park Hospital, Dr. Jodie Graves works to save lives every day. But one life that couldn’t be saved was that of her adult stepdaughter. News4JAX is only identifying her by her first name, Angela. After a years-long battle with addiction, Angela (pictured below with Graves) overdosed and died last year. “It didn’t come unexpected,” Graves said. “It was a death pill. One in 10 pills out there is what you call a death pill.”
Graves said Angela’s struggle took a toll on the entire family, including her father. Angela was a loving mother, sister and daughter. But behind the scenes, her drug abuse was tearing the family apart.