Posted on 03/03/2018 3:53:30 PM PST by Kaslin
Fox News personality and author Eric Bolling tragically lost his son to opioid addiction last year. As painful as the loss is, he was brave enough to share the story during the White House's Opioid Summit Thursday.
In a heartfelt video, Bolling explains how he and his wife found out about their son's death, what they did in the aftermath, and why he is now imploring other parents to be wary of the "Not My Kid Syndrome."
During today's Opioid Summit at the White House, Eric Bolling shared the story of his son who died from an accidental overdose. pic.twitter.com/P0bq6El6nj— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 1, 2018
Bolling’s son, he said, was a “normal kid.” He loved baseball, he loved his car, and he had an active social life.
Bolling and his wife were at dinner one night and were driving home when his phone rang and they learned some awful news. It was his son’s sophomore year at college, and he had died of an opioid overdose.
His wife, Bolling said, “fell into the road,” before he gathered her and they both sat on the curb crying and talking for an hour.
“We never saw it coming,” he explained, holding back tears. “Every parent doesn’t want it, but we got it.”
For weeks he obsessed over what went wrong, until he eventually shared his grief on Twitter. Afterward, he said he was "overwhelmed" by the stories of people who had been affected by opioids.
"It helps to talk about it and to find resources," Bolling shared.
One underlying issue for parents to understand, he insisted, is that "Not My Kid Syndrome" is a killer.
"It could very well be your kid," he said. "Do yourself a favor, have the discussion with them, and do it again and again."
"Get involved in your kid’s life," he added. "Keep an eye on what they’re spending. You can save someone."
President Trump let Bolling know he had his back.
Eric, we are all with you and your family! Look forward to seeing you back on T.V. https://t.co/d6y3Q00BSy— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 2, 2018
The definition of the word "opioid" means "a material having the same effect as opium"
I think it can also include medications which have been derived chemically or are in a similar chemical family as opium, with similar mechanisms of effect. Morphine, Heroin, Codeine I think are members of the group along with some of the newer ones like Fentenyl and Oxycontin.
Have them live at home for college.
God bless his heart.
A good question.
Very sorry for your loss. We have friends whose son died in similar way.
If you know any Veterans who are struggling with ANY substance abuse problem...addiction..get them to ANY VA hospital or clinic...any day they are open.
VA POLICY NATIONWIDE IS IMMEDIATE ACCESS... NO APPOINTMENT OR REFERRAL NEEDED !
THAT’S ALSO THE POLICY FOR ANY MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
For some, that may be a good solution. Sometimes not. For two of my grandchildren, it was.
For physical health issues, maybe yes according to the quality of the hospital at hand. You must exercise judgment on it.
Making and keeping appointments has been known to be a VA problem, but the veteran who qualifies ought to try, especially if it is a service-related dysfunction.
Be aware that the armed forces medical services have been the source of dependencies on opioids and/or psychoactive drugs, according to what I read and have seen.
1: “It was his son’s sophomore year AT college.”
2: “Get involved in your kid’s life”
Note the phrase “at college”...he was away (in Colorado), and subject to the pressure cooker of living on campus.
Given #1, #2 is not possible. Once away from home, parental involvement is over. The kid lives or dies, graduates or drops out, based on the people around him. Parents are simply NOT PART of the equation.
While I certainly feel bad for Bolling, this type of outcome should not be much of a surprise, particularly in a state like Colorado where people think that drugs are just fine.
“What goes on in today’s colleges to induce seemingly normal kids to do things like that?”
The SAME THINGS that went on when he was in college, or at least when he was collage-aged. Except the drugs are stronger now, and less forgiving.
Send a kid off to college and it’s a crapshoot - they’re on their own, parents are out of the loop at that point.
“Looks like he was part of the “you’re not going to arrest my son” syndrome.”
I’m with you - people want to have it both ways. Suppose the kid had been arrested with Mary Jane, rather than go to college in a state that was making (tax) money off it? He’d likely be alive.
Liberalism has CONSEQUENCES.
“Have them live at home for college.”
What are you, SOME KIND OF RADICAL?
The WHOLE POINT of college is to send your kid away and get him out of your hair and hope for the best.
Obviously I’m kidding, but that does seem to be the case for a LOT of parents - and while I could understand parents who went to college 50 years ago thinking that colleges would act in the best interests of their kids, TODAY’S PARENTS are young enough to know better...at least I am, after my experiences at ESU - and other parents do have web access, they should THINK a bit about what is out there.
For parents today, I simply have NO SYMPATHY for them - if they send their kids off to college, whatever product they get back is THEIR PROBLEM - the information is out there - and they chose to ignore it.
No questions asked where the kid got the opioids, where they legal or Illegal, what they were, what did the autopsy revel? Usually it’s a mix of Legal and Illegal + Booze with that age group.
As the Mother of a Murdered Child, a child murdered by a Sociopath for the Jollies to see what it felt like to kill, with a 2 ft section of fence post who was ambushed on his way home from HS, who was 4 yrs behind his calendar age in development of 16, a 12 yr old in ensence still playing with Hot Wheels, less than a block from home. Took 2 yrs for the RINO A$$ AG to reach a Plea Deal, 20 yrs, with ‘good behavior’ which didn’t happen, 6 parole hearings, + the 2 yrs jail time I eked out 12.5 yrs prison time. He walks a free man. And I CCW.
I’ve burried 2 children 1 at 33 days and 1 at 16. Disease took the first, a Sociopath the second. No one made this kid take drugs. Because of him and others like him millions of true Intractable Pain Patients are NOW COMMITTING SUICIDE because their pain meds have been reduced to, to little or stopped especially by the VA.
There’s your ILLEGAL DRUG cause
“mixed drug intoxication” after authorities discovered cocaine, marijuana, Xanax,and opioid drugs in his system — knew he had possibly ingested a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl the day before he died. (The Boulder County Coroner’s report confirmed that the opioid drugs fentanyl and cyclopropyl fentanyl were found in his system.)”
I curse the evil that has flooded our country with this poison—with full intent on the results we are seeing.
I can’t imagine the suffering you’ve endured. I’m very sorry about the children you’ve lost, and they were so very young.
We live in California. We sent our son to my alma mater, Texas A&M. He got mixed in with kids active in BLM and one was antifa. I don’t even know how that happened. His first 2 years he was in Campus Crusade for Christ. He’s home now, not radical. But also not really working on a career.
One of my daughters is at Alabama. Her first week she fell in love with a kid who is really active in the Democrat party. He did eventually treat her very badly, and the boys she’s dated have been more conservativr. She’s also getting involved in church again.
Then we have daughter who stayed at home and went to community college. She just came home and told us crazy things being taught. She transfered to Sonoma State in the fall. She’s a statistics major with a minor in biology. She’s more worried about grades. She doesn’t seem to be corrupted like the other 2 have been even though she’s gone to the most liberal colleges.
I am so sorry.
Prayers Up for your son. It’s the least any of us can do for you. Our God is a mighty God. We may not get the anwswer we want, but it is always the right answer. Took me a long time to understand that. I never got anger with Him, I just wanted my sons back.
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