MCALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A mother who lost her son to fentanyl is raising awareness about the drug’s danger through the “one pill kills” campaign. Last year, Sandra Bagwell lost her son, Ryan, to fentanyl.
She was like most parents, unaware of the dangers of the drug and how prevalent it is.
“He was a healthy young boy. And sure enough, it turned out to be fentanyl.” Bagwell said.
With the recent overdoses in Cameron County, Bagwell says it is impacting the community. She says it is not safe to purchase anything that is not prescribed by a licensed physician.
“Right now, It is really bad, especially with the eight deaths that happened in Cameron County. It’s not safe. It’s not safe to buy anything off the streets.” Bagwell said.
Bagwell says in April of 2022, Ryan traveled with his friends to Mexico to purchase opioids. She says later that night, he took a pill that had a large amount of fentanyl.
“Well, he thought they were purchasing Percocet pain medication. So they were sold a bottle of 10 pills and he took one pill that night and he didn’t wake up.” Said Bagwell.
Bagwell and several other mothers who lost loved ones to the deadly drug met with Governor Greg Abbott.
That’s when he launched a campaign called “One Pill Kills” to raise awareness of the dangers of fentanyl and to tell the stories of the lives it took.
“He has been by our side with a bunch of Angel moms. There are five of us. From here from Texas. We recorded all of us recorded PSAs for fentanyl Awareness Month.” Bagwell said.
Bagwell also visits local schools, telling Ryan’s story. She wants to raise awareness that the drug is not visible to the naked eye.
“If it’s not given to you by a doctor or purchased in a pharmacy then do not buy it,” Bagwell adds.
