Episode 39: After Her Son Overdosed and Died, Jessie Dunleavy Realized it Was Preventable

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jessie Dunleavy always knew her son Paul was unique. He struggled throughout his life -- to learn, to be accepted -- and she tried however she could to help him along the way. But as he got older, and began to struggle with drug use, system after system began to shut them out. Where he needed hope, he got silence; where he needed support, he got punishment. In April 2017, Paul overdosed and died. Devastated by his passing, Jessie began to learn as much as she could. In the process, she uncovered unknown details of her son’s life, glimpsed the depth of the injustices he was subjected to, and realized that his death had been preventable. In her new memoir,</span> <em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Cover My Dreams in Ink</span></em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">, she chronicles her journey from concerned mother to outspoken advocate.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Visit</span> <a href= "https://www.jessiedunleavy.com/"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Jessie’s website</span></a> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">for more information about her work and her book. To learn more about the Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition and The Maryland Harm Reduction Action Network, visit</span> <a href="https://baltimoreharmreduction.org/"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">baltimoreharmreduction.org</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">and/or check out @BmoreHRC on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. For DPA’s work around overdose prevention, visit</span> <a href= "http://drugpolicy.org/overdose"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">drugpolicy.org/overdose</span></a><span style= "font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>