Pubdate: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 Source: Edmonton Journal (CN AB) Copyright: 2006 The Edmonton Journal Contact: http://www.canada.com/edmonton/edmontonjournal/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/134 Author: Andrea Sands, The Edmonton Journal STREET-DRUG THEORY MAKES 'SENSE' Christmas Plans May Have Led Son To Ingest Deadly Substance, Mom Says EDMONTON - Max Reid planned to spend Christmas Day at his uncle's house in St. Albert, but he never made it to the celebra- tions. The 23-year-old, who had recently been staying at an inner-city shelter, had fallen into a coma and later died in hospital. At Reid's funeral Saturday, his family said they believe he is one of three young people who died recently in unexplained cases of fatally low blood sugar. "He just turned 23. He had a life in front of him that he doesn't have anymore," his devastated mother, Dorothy Reid, told reporters outside the Holy Spirit Lutheran Church on 51st Avenue near 112th Street. "It has been incredibly hard." Capital Health confirmed last week it is investigating the deaths of three young people in eight days from the same rare medical condition. Health officials believe the deaths could be related to drug abuse, but they are still waiting for toxicology test results to determine the cause of death for each person. Deputy medical officer of health Marcia Johnson has said it is possible the deaths may be related to the illegal use of drugs designed to treat diabetes. Police have said drug dealers sometimes offer customers unidentified prescription pills with the promise those drugs will soften the crash from a cocaine or methamphetamine high. "If he was doing drugs, it would have made sense that he would try and take something that would lessen the crash, because he was going to be staying out there (in St. Albert) overnight," Dorothy said. "So when I read the stories in the media, it made perfect sense to me - -- as much sense as any of this makes. "We don't have anything concrete." Inside the church where Reid's grieving relatives stood alongside street kids, about 60 people listened to a eulogy from Reid's uncle, Bob Gray. A photo of Max and a small flower arrangement stood beside his urn at the front of the church. Max was adopted when he was about three years old and grew up in Saskatoon, Sask. He was born with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, which affected his memory and ability to concentrate. He didn't learn to speak until he was four years old, and then he had a speech impediment. Despite those problems, Max made friends quickly, was honest, loved to tell jokes and really cared about other people, Gray said. "We will remember Max for his enthusiasm for life and utilizing those talents that he had in overcoming the challenges that he faced," Gray said. When Max grew up, keeping him in a structured environment where he flourished became impossible, his mother told reporters. He couldn't keep a job because of his memory problems and he had trouble going through the process that would have allowed him to collect financial support for the disabled, Dorothy said. "He was at the point where he couldn't live with us because he was an adult. He wanted to be independent. The difficulty was that the places weren't there for him to be healthily independent," she said. "So the shelters, the street community became his home, and they took care of him, and they helped him. They helped him a lot. "That's also a place where all the temptations are, and the things that caused this tragedy," added Max's father, Doug Reid. About 30 teens and young adults who were friends with Max hugged and cried outside his funeral. "He took care of me on the streets. He was like a big brother to me," said a 20-year-old man who did not want to give his name. "He made me feel so good about myself, so worthy," said Jasmine, 15. "His laugh was worth a million dollars. I would give anything to hear it again." Max is also survived by his brother, George, and two sisters, Marie and Rachel. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek