KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Family and friends remembered Cruz Burris Wednesday night on what would've been his 16th birthday.
A fentanyl overdose took Cruz from his family and friends earlier this year.
Several dozen people gathered at Angel Falls Trail in Lansing, Kan., to remember his life.
"We miss him very, very much. His friends miss him very, very much. And our entire lives have changed," his father, Andy Burris said.
The holidays are a challenging time for families reeling from recent loss.
Andy said it's tough keeping up traditions he and Cruz shared.
"It was a challenge. Especially on Halloween. Cruz and I had a tradition of setting up decorations together outside and I have to do Halloween by myself," he said.
Cruz's friends face that same pain.
It was a special night for them too, one full of remembrances.
"Yeah, we always carve pumpkins," his friends Jaden Litewski and Josie Denney said. "[We] had gingerbread houses. We had Christmas parties, New Year's Eve parties. New Year's Eve was big every year."
Cruz won't be with them, but his memory lives on.
"He has impacted more people than I have ever realized," Andy said.
His father has a message for any other parents.
"Please take heed," he said.
The grieving father said if parents suspect someone is using drugs like fentanyl to report it to someone who can help before it's too late.
