'One pill can kill.' Brevard moms band together over Florida fentanyl deaths

Nancy Shine’s only child had just turned 26. And it was just one pill.

But Keaton Alan Shine made a choice to use fentanyl one night.

It cost Keaton his life — and changed the lives of his parents forever.

“He was my son and my only child,” Nancy Shine of Cape Canaveral said. “It's heartbreaking. I'm never going to be a grandmother … I have to (live with this loss) the rest of my life. We have to live the rest of our lives without our son. I don't want another parent to have to go through that.”

That’s one of the whys behind the fourth annual Mom Anon’s Overdose Awareness Day being held Saturday.

According to the Florida Department of Health , Brevard had 157 fatal overdoses in 2022; there were 7,769 overdose deaths statewide in Florida.

'I don't want another parent to have to go through that.'

Mom Anon's Overdose Awareness Day will take place at 6 p.m. this Saturday, Aug. 31, at Christ Lutheran Church, 7511 A. Atlantic Ave., in Cape Canaveral. The group exists to help:

• Prevent drug overdoses and poisonings;
• Remember those who have been lost; and
• Acknowledge the grief of those left behind

Mom Anon is a group of mothers in Brevard County whose children are either in active addiction or have died from addiction. The group has about 100 members, meeting occasionally. "We're trying to get more monthly meetings to offer each other support, to talk about the struggles we're facing," Shine said.

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This free informative event will include speakers who represent agencies and service providers. They will be on hand to educate, offer resources and answer questions about the dangers of drugs in Brevard.

The mental health aspect of drug abuse will also be explored, and Narcan will be available. Naloxone (Narcan’s generic name) can reverse the effects of opioid overdose within a couple of minutes, its website states .

The event is open to all and should conclude between 7 and 7:30 p.m. (And there will be refreshments, too.)

'It's no longer about overdosing; it's about dying instantly.'

Shine plans to share her story about Keaton, as a “good young man,” “smart,” “funny” and so much more — and how parents need to think twice when they assume drugs aren’t a danger to their kids. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that synthetic opioids, like fentanyl , “contribute to nearly 70% of overdose deaths. Even in small doses, it can be deadly.”

Shine said her son had taken pills prior to his lethal dosage.

Fentanyl can be used legally by patients, under the close guidance of a licensed medical professional. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), many illegal drugs have been laced with illicit fentanyl . “Because of its potency and low cost, drug dealers have been mixing fentanyl with other drugs including heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine, increasing the likelihood of a fatal interaction,” according to the DEA.

It can affect anyone, in any walk of life. That’s what killed Keaton.

“I loved him so much,” Shine said of Keaton. “He was such a good kid. He just made a bad choice, you know? He made a bad decision.

“It's not (just) an overdose situation anymore,” Shine said of drug abuse. “One pill can kill … fentanyl changes everything. It's no longer about overdosing, it's about dying instantly.”

You can join the Mom Anon group on Facebook or reach out to Shine at 407-272-0938 for more information.

This reporting is supported by a Journalism Funding Partners grant. Mental Health Reporter Sara Paulson can be reached at spaulson@floridatoday.com .

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: 'One pill can kill.' Brevard moms band together over Florida fentanyl deaths