‘She had a heart of gold:’ Monticello mom striving to save the next generation from effects of fentanyl, drugs

MONTICELLO, Ill. (WCIA) — In 2023, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration reports their organization seized more than 80 million fentanyl-laced fake fills and almost 12,000 pounds of fentanyl powder.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid drug, much stronger than morphine. In Illinois in 2022, statistics from the Department of Public Health show there were 3,261 opioid overdose deaths. That’s an 8.2% increase from 2021.

On Monday, Sept. 30 at 8 p.m., WCIA is airing a 30-minute special called “Saving a Generation.” It will dive into the data and share emotional stories from families across the country. In Central Illinois, this challenge hits home for many.

For Connie Gyorr, a mother in Monticello, this all hits home. In 2016, her daughter died from an overdose. In her honor, she’s been fighting for change for the last eight years, striving to live out “ Marisa’s Purpose ” every day. She wants to break the stigma and save lives for years to come.

“She had a heart of gold,” Gyorr said while describing her daughter, Marisa MacDuff.

When the mother of three thinks about Marisa, the memories come flooding back.

“Marisa was a spark plug,” she tearfully said. “She was involved in everything. She was so talented, she was artsy. She was the most giving, loving person.”

Gyorr said her daughter always wanted everyone to fit in.

“She always found the kid that was sitting by themselves, which was so kind,” she described.

But, when Marisa turned 14, there was a shift. She was diagnosed with diabetes, which changed her outlook on life.

“She just felt different. She felt like that kid who was all by herself, but no one was coming to make her feel welcomed,” Gyorr said.

Marisa met a new group of friends and got involved with drugs. Her mom noticed more and more red flags each day. Then, there was an attitude shift.

“She was just turning into a different person,” Gyorr said. “At one point she was threatening to drop out of school.”

To avoid that, her parents decided there needed to be a change and sent her to a private school in Arizona . After getting her grades up and spending time with new people, things started to look up for the family.

When Marisa came home to Central Illinois, she told her mom “I found my purpose, I was put on this earth to help people.”

While Gyorr thought Marisa would help kids who also have diabetes, Marisa was quick to reply with a different idea.

“She said ‘No mom, it’ll be bigger than that. much bigger. You’ll see.’ Who would’ve thought it would’ve been this purpose,” Gyorr said.

In 2017, Gyorr started the non-profit group “ Marisa’s Purpose: Faith, Hope, Love .”

The organization came to life one year after Marisa was killed. In 2016, Marisa was in college studying cosmetology in the Chicago suburbs. As Gyorr puts it, “she found the wrong person.”

“He introduced her to cocaine, and they were using cocaine and it was laced with fentanyl. She overdosed in his car,” Gyorr explained.

But instead of taking her into the hospital in Aurora, she said he stopped in a parking lot outside of it and later hid her in a nearby wooded area.

“He put a blanket over her, and he left her there to die by herself,” Gyorr said.

After a two-month investigation, the Aurora Police Department arrested 21-year-old Bruno Muro. He was charged with concealment of death.

It took 10 weeks for the toxicology report to come back, and Gyorr didn’t know how her died until she saw the report. It showed she died from a cocaine and fentanyl overdose.

“I was like ‘what’s fentanyl?’ I had no idea what fentanyl was,” she said.

Now, she’s using her organization to make sure no one else ever has to ask that question. She lines up guest speakers and travels to schools across Central Illinois to break the stigma around sometimes tricky conversations. Each speaker focuses on something different, ranging from topics around self-esteem, recovery and the opioid crisis.

Gyorr also helps to organize a mock car crash around “prom season” at Monticello High School . It shows students the dangers of drinking and driving and provokes raw emotions from many in the community.

“I think it’s a conversation we all have to start having with our kids,” Gyorr said. “If somebody’s struggling, you don’t want to shame them. You want to help them.”

She hopes “Marisa’s Purpose” does just that, no matter your age.

“I really wish parents would come to our presentations, there’s so much to learn. It would benefit them so much,” she said.

That way, no one else has to grieve a child and face the same reality she does every day.

“Everybody struggles with something. It’s okay. It’s okay to be broken,” she said. “But we can help each other, pull each other together, and make us make each other stronger.”

Gyorr knows the “ Good Samaritan Law ” and Narcan can both help save lives. Each one aims to protect people who may be experiencing an overdose.

If you need help yourself, Gyorr wants to help connect you to resources. You can connect with her using the “Marisa’s Purpose” website , or call her at 630-234-8175.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.