Pubdate: Thu, 07 Jun 2012
Source: Abbotsford Times (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 The Abbotsford Times
Contact:  http://www.abbotsfordtimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1009
Author: Rochelle Baker
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mdma.htm (Ecstasy)

THE X FACTOR

Tears Roll With New Ecstasy Campaign

Abbotsford Police screened a new video aimed at preventing ecstasy 
overdoses and deaths on Tuesday afternoon.

The film's first scene shows young people dancing in a club to 
electronic music.

Suddenly, the screen goes black.

Then the trembling voice of Abbotsford teenager Drew Fournier is 
heard during a real life 911 call reporting that her friend Cheryl 
McCormack has collapsed after taking ecstasy.

The operator asks if the teen is breathing.

"Barely," Fournier responds.

"I'm really scared right now," she tells the woman.

Cheryl, 17, took ecstasy at a sleepover with three of her best 
friends on Dec. 19, 2011, fell into a coma and never woke up.

The Grade 12 Bateman Secondary student died three days before Christmas.

Less than a month before, 20-year-old Tyler Miller died in hospital 
after taking ecstasy at a house party.

In the wake of the two Abbotsford deaths, The APD decided to make the 
film Operation X, which outlines the heartbreak of the families and 
friends of the victims of ecstasy.

The documentary will be presented to all Abbotsford secondary schools 
before the end of June.

Cheryl and Tyler's family and friends are also taking part in the 
presentations to teenage audiences.

Abbotsford School of the Integrated Arts students listened gravely on 
Tuesday as the three friends with Cheryl on the night of her 
overdose; Cheryl's sister, Shawna McCormack, and a group of Tyler's 
friends shared their painful experiences.

Nobody can be sure of what's in ecstasy, or how their bodies will 
react to the street drug, they told students.

"I hope none of you have to go through what we did," said Shawna.

One of Tyler's friends, Josh Williams cried while reading a poem he 
wrote on the six-month anniversary of his friend's death.

Cheryl and Tyler's moms also broke down during the presentation about 
the loss of their children.

"When his picture comes up in the video, I lose it because I miss him 
so much," said Tyler's mom, Laurie Mossey.

Good can come out of her son's death if other youth can be saved, said Mossey.

"Tyler didn't die in vain. We're here to tell his story. We're his 
voice," she said.

For Cathy McCormack, the hardest part is viewing that last image of 
her daughter hooked up to the life support machine at the hospital.

"When we thought Cheryl would pull through, we planned to show her 
that picture if she ever thought about doing drugs again," said McCormack.

"We didn't ever have that choice."

Shawna - who began speaking publicly about the dangers of ecstasy 
soon after Cheryl's death - said it's difficult to constantly relive 
the grief of losing her younger sister during Operation X presentations.

"But when kids come up and hug us and tell us,'Thank you,'. . . it 
lets us know they are listening and it's worth it."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom