My son was supposed to be the success story. After fighting addiction at a young age of 17-20 he had committed to sobriety and building a life in it. He went on to college, and in 2016 made a bold move to Alaska from our home in Northern California. where he persued a new career as an electrical contractor. He soared in his career and loved Alaska. He loved his snowmobile especially. He got married, bought a home, and even received a national award from his Union. What we didn’t know being so far away, is the past year sobriety was hard for Michael. Alcohol and recreational drug use is very high in Alaska. We had known of a few relapses of binge drinking but always believed he understood the dangers of street drugs. On November 23, 2025 we received that dreaded call that Michael was found passed along with another young man. Medical examiner confirmed it was Carfentanyl and Fentanyl which likely they thought was cocaine. He was poisoned. Nothing could have prepared us for this. And we will forever be in grief for the loss of our amazing son.
Kelley, Michael’s Mom