Pubdate: Mon, 13 Apr 2015
Source: Record, The (Kitchener, CN ON)
Copyright: 2015 Metroland Media Group Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.therecord.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/225
Author: Liz Monteiro
Page: A5

'YOU ARE HAUNTED BY THE WHAT-IFS'

HEIDELBERG - It's the everyday triggers that are constant reminders of
their youngest son.

Last week, the street cleaner went by on their cul-de-sac and
Christine Padaric was flooded with memories of her teenage boy outside
sweeping the driveway getting the double-car laneway ready for his
impromptu skateboard park. "He was a skateboard fanatic," she said.
Sunday marked two years since Austin Padaric died.

For Christine and Klaus Padaric, there is no anniversary date.
Instead, this time of the year takes them back to the agonizing week
in which they watched their son, a lanky teen with a
six-foot-four-inch frame, lifeless in a hospital bed for days.

He was taken off life support on April 12.

The 17-year-old Heidelberg teen died in a Hamilton hospital six days
after he was found unconscious in a bathtub following a party in an
Elmira apartment in April 2013.

Austin died from an accidental overdose of hydromorphone pills, a
narcotic pain reliever that is crushed and snorted by recreational
users.

Quin Kurtz was charged at that time with drug offences after a search
of the apartment turned up marijuana, morphine and magic mushrooms.

Kurtz, now 22, faces a charge of manslaughter and criminal negligence
causing death. His trial is set to begin in late September.

The Padarics last saw their son the day before the Elmira Maple Syrup
Festival. He was going to a party Friday and staying overnight.

Austin was with people he knew, but not his close school or
skateboarding friends. When he began vomiting and was in distress,
they placed him in a cold bathtub, thinking he would sleep it off.

An ambulance wasn't called until the next morning.

"Austin had a lot of friends who really cared deeply for him," said
his dad. "Had they been there, the outcome could have been different."

"I look back on that night and it could have been prevented," said his
mother.

"You are haunted by the what-if 's. It can drive you insane," she
said

The stigma associated with drug use and drug overdoses sparked hateful
comments by some, calling him a junkie, said Christine.

"How he died doesn't define him as a person," said his
father.

The Padarics knew their son smoked pot. Christine thought he smoked
too much and told him so. They talked about prescription pills and he
knew the consequences, she said. "He was a risk taker," she said. It's
not the drug pusher waiting outside the school who will influence your
kids, said Klaus.

"It's people they know or they think they know. It's not a student and
drug dealer relationship," he said.

In addition, teens underestimate the power of addiction, said
Christine.

"I've got an exam so I need to get high," said Christine, referring to
teenagers justifying pot smoking to calm their anxiety.

The Padarics want other teens to know that they're not
invincible.

"Accidents happen. Surround yourself with good people," she said. "I
don't want to see any parent go through this."

Austin's death rocked his small-town school community.

Elmira District Secondary School Principal Paul Morgan received calls
from residents, workers at community agencies and concerned parents
wanting to support the school but also looking for direction to ensure
such a tragedy would never happened again.

A drug strategy committee was created and Christine Padaric became a
member of the group.

Two male students approached Morgan seeking his help in reminding
their peers to watch out for each other.

The idea of a lanyard developed and all students were given a lanyard
this year with each grade representing a different colour. It reads:
EDSS - Together we graduate.

With the help of a public health nurse, students in Grade 9 and Grade
12 have received training on what to do in case of an overdose.

"We want our students to look after each other," said Morgan. "We want
to help students get through high school. School is a big influence on
their lives and we hope we can give them strategies."

Public health nurse Kathy McKenna said students are receptive and
engaged. They want to be able to identify the signs of drug overdose
and ultimately save their friends if they have to, she said.

"We are not here to promote substance use but we are meeting youth
where they are at in terms of substance use," she said.

"If you are going to use, use safely," McKenna said.

"The one thing I say is 'if you learn anything today, be aware and
listen to your inner voice. Do not hesitate to call for help.'"

Since Austin's death, Christine has spoken to community groups and
students in schools about drug use and how a night of hanging out with
friends can go terribly wrong.

"I became vocal. I was never secretive about it (Austin's death). It
had to be known," she said. "If it happened to me, it could happen to
anyone."

She'd like to see drug overdose training in school curriculum so all
students are aware of the symptoms and can save their friends if they
are in distress.

Christine also hopes to start a Waterloo chapter of Grief Recovery
After a Substance Passing (GRASP), a support group for those dealing
with the death of a child by drugs or alcohol.
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MAP posted-by: Matt