ItB次元官网网址檚 a birthday she was tingling with excitement about celebrating B次元官网网址� the big 18, a number that meant she was going to be a grown up.
The big day for Heather McLean will be celebrated by friends and family at the end of the month, but the Esquimalt teen known for her beaming smile wonB次元官网网址檛 be there to join them.
During the Easter long weekend, Heather died of a suspected drug overdose while using cocaine. As her grief-stricken father and stepmother wait on toxicology tests, they canB次元官网网址檛 help but fear fentanyl was involved.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 unbelievable how hard it is. She had everything going for her. She had the whole package and now sheB次元官网网址檚 gone,B次元官网网址� said her father Kevin, who repeatedly told his daughter not to use street drugs. B次元官网网址淚 had a feeling this was going to happen. The odds were stacked against her.B次元官网网址�
The death comes at the same time the B.C. Coroners Service released the latest numbers on fatal drug overdoses in the province. March had the third highest number with 120 deaths B次元官网网址� an average of almost four per day for the month. Last March there were 79.
Chief coroner Lisa Lapointe noted fentanyl appears to account for the significant spike in deaths. More than half the deaths occurred in private homes and males accounted for 82.7 per cent.
According to HeatherB次元官网网址檚 stepmother Tamsin Stratford, Heather had been couch surfing and was trying to be independent. Few details have been released about her death, but Stratford said the teen had been staying at a hotel with some friends the night her life came to a sudden end.
Stratford remembers Heather as a smart girl who was on the honour roll, liked making people happy and enjoyed dance. Around the age of 14, however, she got involved with the wrong crowd and started dabbling in drugs and alcohol.
Noticing an alarming change in HeatherB次元官网网址檚 behaviour, her parents talked to her about the dangers of using street drugs, but Heather thought nothing bad would ever happen to her.
B次元官网网址淪he looked at us and said thatB次元官网网址檒l never happen to me because I pay $20 extra when I buy stuff so fentanyl is not in it and she believed that,B次元官网网址� said Stratford. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 Russian roulette and you might die, you might not, but kids arenB次元官网网址檛 going to hear it. We said this to her over and over again.B次元官网网址�
Worried about their daughterB次元官网网址檚 safety, Stratford and Kevin asked Heather to call them every day so they knew she was okay. Last Wednesday she came over for a visit and told them how much she loved them, reminiscing about old times. Little did they know that was the last time they would ever see her again.
Esquimalt High, where McLean attended Grade 12, issued a notice to parents this week about HeatherB次元官网网址檚 sudden death, which was shared with students during their first period. The letter noted school counsellors are on hand offering support for any students in need.
As she wades through a fog of unbearable grief, Stratford is encouraging all parents to talk to their children about the dangers of drugs and hold them a little closer at night.
B次元官网网址淵ou donB次元官网网址檛 know if theyB次元官网网址檒l be gone tomorrow without any warning. ThereB次元官网网址檚 no B次元官网网址業 made a mistake and IB次元官网网址檒l be grounded.B次元官网网址� TheyB次元官网网址檙e dead and thatB次元官网网址檚 just terrifying,B次元官网网址� said Stratford through buckets of tears. B次元官网网址淪he has a mom and two sisters that are absolutely devastated. I know her friends are hurting bad and they donB次元官网网址檛 know what to do.B次元官网网址�
To mark HeatherB次元官网网址檚 18 birthday on April 27, family and friends will be gathering at Saxe Point Park between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. to release balloons. Anybody who wants to come is welcome to attend.
editor@vicnews.com
