Mother of fentanyl victim fights to educate others on deadly danger

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Thursday is National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day - a chance to raise awareness of the dangers of illicit fentanyl and prevent overdose deaths.

"When they say losing a child is the worse pain in the world, it really is," said Rebecca Elmaksoud.

The backstory:

This Clarkston mother hopes her pain can energize a movement.

"Turning pain into purpose," she said. "That’s it."

In 2021, Rebecca Elmaksoud lost her son.

"These are not overdoses these are poisonings," she said. "These kids have been poisoned to death. My son was not asking for fentanyl, whether he was or he wasn't, he was 100 percent poisoned from this, and it killed him."

Elmaksoud's son Brandon is not alone.

"This is a health crisis that we have not seen before," said Brian McNeal, DEA Detroit Field Division. "This year alone DEA Detroit Division has seized enough fentanyl to provide a lethal dosage to every man, woman, and child living in Michigan - twice."

Through her pain, Elmaksoud has joined forces with other families who have lost loved ones to this synthetic drug. She’s part of an organization called Facing Fentanyl.

"A non-profit organization trying to help people spread awareness, educate people, and hope that this stops," she said.

Law enforcement officials say numbers are going down, but there’s still much more to do.

"We have seen a 14% drop that includes in the State of Michigan," McNeal said. "Seventy percent of those are from synthetic opioids like fentanyl."

And this mom continues to fight.

"Because I lost my heart the day he died," she said.

Elmaksoud speaks out to lawmakers, law enforcement and anyone who will hear her.

"We want them to understand that illicit drugs are being brought into our country," she said. "This is killing people. We're spreading awareness and hoping people know how deadly this is."