Thousands expected downtown for Families of Addicts rally Sunday

“As a mom, I didn’t have anyone talk to,” Conley said. “I felt like I was the only one who had boys on the ‘bad’ drug.”

As of this week, 457 people in Montgomery County have died during 2017 of unintentional drug overdoses, over 100 more than all of last year.

Opioid addiction has nearly taken the Dayton woman’s sons, Jason, 32, and Josh, 26, who as recently as two months ago was found slumped over at a Westown Shopping Center bus stop and revived with Narcan. Not Josh’s first brush with death, doctors in 2014 considered removing his left leg up to the groin due to an infection caused by a dirty needle.

“I’ve had a hard time,” said Josh Conley, who relapsed despite counseling and medication assisted treatment that includes Vivitrol, a shot able keep cravings at bay for up to a month.

Jason Conley said he hasn’t touched opioids for three years since he spent a month and half in the hospital — the first five days in a coma — after a reaction to an extraordinarily powerful synthetic opioid collapsed one lung and left the other compromised.

“When I woke up, that was it. I was done. It’s been that way since,” said Jason Conley. “It scared me that bad.”

The family, including Jason’s partner Wil Raines, 41, said sharing their tribulations with those active in Families of Addicts helps break the stigma of addiction. They will be at Courthouse Square in Dayton early Sunday to help set up for the rally beginning at 3 p.m.

“Everybody knows somebody (addicted), whether it’s in your family, a friend, a neighbor, co-worker,” Cynthia Conley said. “It’s amazing when you open up to it, people get it off their chests.”

Mahajan Therapeutics is a co-sponsor of the rally, adding a mental health presence to the event. Treating underlying mental disorder and altering behavior are at the core of drug therapy strategies, according to experts.

The featured speaker at the event expected to draw up to 5,000 people is Tim Ryan of Naperville, Ill.

“If I can turn my life around, anyone can,” said Ryan, who’s stuck to a treatment program following jail time after he overdosed driving and put four people in the hospital.

Just as hope was returning to Ryan’s life, his son Nick overdosed and died from an opioid habit the son had learned from the father.

Ryan first tried heroin in 2001 when it was offered by an acquaintance.

“I thought ‘What’s one bag going to do?,’” he said. “That one bag absolutely destroyed my life, and my family’s and everybody else near and dear to me.”

Ryan, who once made six figures and owned executive search firms, is the author of “From Dope to Hope.” He is currently national outreach director for Transformations Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center and runs A Man in Recovery Foundation.

“My main message is there’s hope out there. I don’t care what situation you’re in,” he said. “If you put your hand up, we’ll find you the opportunity to get on the road to recovery.”

A signature highlight of past rallies is “The Big Picture,” a group photo that illustrates the number of people in the community touched by opioids, whether as a person in recovery or a supporting family member or friend. Following the photo, 2,600 white, red, yellow and green balloons will be let go to signify journeys of recovery.

Other rally highlights will include music by Rising Life Band, whose single My Sunny Day is popular on Christian Radio charts, as well as a raffle and food trucks.