KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A dad who lost his 15-year-old son to fentanyl is warning parents and children the need to take the drug seriously.
"Take heed. Take notice. Get involved," said Andrew Burris. "Spread the message and I want you to understand that Fentanyl epidemic is real and I never, ever want another child to die from this.”
Burris' son Nicholas "Cruz" Burris died in January 2023.
“He was a friend maker. He would always have any of his friends backs," said Burris.
Burris holds onto to memories of his son's interest, especially in music.
“A couple of Christmas’ ago, I bought him his first electric guitar and that was a turning point in his life," Burris said, "He picked up that guitar and would play it day and night. He was at a point where he was going to start composing his own music.”
The death of Burris' son is a reminder of how deadly the fentanyl epidemic is locally and across the country.
Wyandotte Behavioral Health Network said they're treating more clients for fentanyl-related overdoses.
“The main thing that we’ve noticed is that a lot of people who are usual clients don’t know that they’re taking fentanyl so it’s almost accidental because it’s laced in a lot of the substances be it marijuana, stimulants, cocaine. It’s laced," explained Ebere Osuagwu, a psychiatric nurse practitioner at Wyandotte Behavioral Health Network.
Osuagwu added a big challenge is that the synthetic drug is mixed with other drugs ranging from marijuana to cocaine.
Burris urges parents to be vigilant and children to avoid drugs. He shared his son's final moments in an effort to get his message across.
“He was FaceTiming his friends showing how cool he was and a friend saw him pass out," said Burris. "I think the last words and last thought, whatever went through his mind was mom, dad …. you’re right. I messed up and I’m so, so sorry.”
