EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — A life cut short after years of battling mental health illness and addiction.

12 Sports Director Sam Knox lost his brother Nicholas Tshonas to an opioid overdose last year.

“I think a lot about him when I’m working out and just about the times we had together, him with God, and I think of him in a safe place, and I think he’s OK now,” Sam said.

Although he was a varsity hockey player, golfer, and honor roll student with a successful career, it was something Sam said was building for years.

“He got into high school and started smoking marijuana. He would do it often, but that’s how he would cope with his depression,” Sam explained. “Nick was a lighthearted, caring, smart, hardworking individual. He loved his family. Nick was a very good person, and he struggled mentally, and he turned to hard substances because of that.”

• HOW TO GET HELP: Local programs and resources »

Sam says he is not sad, ashamed, or angry, and he wishes he had the chance to tell his brother that. But still, two words stand out: What if?

“There were times when he was out of the house and I was home doing things I didn’t want to know about and be involved in. And I thought to myself, why is he not with me? Why is he not hanging out with me?” Sam recalled. “I struggle that I never knocked on his door and just checked on him one more time.”

Hoping no one experiences the pain they are feeling, Sam and his family created a foundation called “ In the NICK of Time ” to reduce the stigma against mental health and addiction.

The foundation includes a golf tournament in Nick’s memory and going into schools to talk with students about the dangers of drugs.

“I just want people that age to know that it’s OK if you are struggling to get help,” Sam said. “Looking around that classroom, I know that kids were paying attention. Nick was in one of these seats, but he didn’t have something like this.”

Sam said while there should be consequences, he doesn’t hope for any ill will against the person who allegedly gave Nick the heroin that was laced with fentanyl.

“We don’t know if he’s going to serve time. I hope he does, but then I hope he gets out and lives a clean, happy life with a family, kids, dogs, cats, whatever, because that’s what Nick deserves,” he said.

• MORE STORIES AND INFORMATION: The Opioid Crisis »

While he loves being a sports anchor, Sam knows this mission is his purpose now and it’s his vocation in life. He hopes that he can save at least one life by spreading the message.

“He lost the fight, but it doesn’t really mean he lost the battle,” he said.

If you or someone you know is battling addiction, there are many ways to get help .

Watch Saving a Generation: The Fentanyl Crisis on WPRI 12 at 9 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 30.

Then, catch Saving a Generation: Local Impacts of the Fentanyl Crisis at 10:30 p.m. on FOX Providence.

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