Mississippi families turn grief into action in fight against fentanyl

The statewide event, organized in partnership with Magnolia Mothers Against Fentanyl and Synthetic Drugs, Black Sheep Recovery Warfare, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and dozens of recovery organizations, brought together families, law enforcement officials, faith leaders, and advocates to educate Mississippians about the dangers of counterfeit pills and the importance of overdose prevention.

The gathering comes as fentanyl continues to fuel Mississippi's overdose crisis. According to the Mississippi Opioid and Heroin Data Collaborative, emergency medical responders administered naloxone more than 2,600 times across the state in 2024, while opioids were involved in nearly three-quarters of suspected overdose deaths reported during the second quarter of the year. State health officials continue encouraging residents to carry naloxone, commonly known by the brand name Narcan, because it can reverse opioid overdoses if administered quickly.

For John Gallagher, founder of Black Sheep Recovery Warfare, the fight is deeply personal.

Nearly six years ago, Gallagher lost his younger sister, Amanda, to a fentanyl overdose. At the time, he was battling addiction himself and spiraled further into substance use before entering recovery.

"So after I decided I was going to commit suicide while I was homeless, I had a radical encounter with Jesus," Gallagher said. "I know that He saved me for a purpose, and that purpose was to collect testimonies and stories and put them out to the world."

Today, Gallagher travels across Mississippi sharing stories of recovery while encouraging families to learn the warning signs of addiction.

"There is power in prayer," he said. "But also learn the signs, research the resources that are available in Mississippi and don't be afraid to ask questions."

That same message resonates with Cordie Rodenbaugh, co-founder of Magnolia Mothers Against Fentanyl and Synthetic Drugs.

Her son, Parker Rodenbaugh, was a 22-year-old Mississippi State University student when he died after taking what he believed was a legitimate pill. Rodenbaugh said Parker had no history of substance abuse before accepting the counterfeit pill from someone he trusted.

"This is affecting everybody," she said. "The knowledge could save a life."

Since Parker's death in 2014, Rodenbaugh has dedicated herself to educating families about counterfeit pills and advocating for stronger accountability for drug dealers. Her work helped lead to the passage of Parker's Law in Mississippi, which allows prosecutors to pursue enhanced penalties in certain fatal drug distribution cases.

Still, Rodenbaugh believes prevention begins long before someone encounters drugs.

"If it's not prescribed to you, you don't take it," Rodenbaugh said. "You don't even take a fourth of a pill because you can die from a fourth of a pill."

Federal officials say counterfeit pills remain one of the greatest dangers because users often have no idea they contain fentanyl.

John Scott, special agent in charge of the DEA's New Orleans Field Division, said many overdose victims believed they were purchasing medications such as Percocet, Xanax, or Adderall.

"All it takes is one pill and it can kill," Scott said. "If you weren't prescribed a drug by a doctor and it wasn't filled by a pharmacist, you have no business putting that in your mouth."

While enforcement remains a cornerstone of the DEA's strategy, Scott said education has become equally important.

"We're not going to arrest our way out of this problem," he said. "It takes parents, schools, churches and communities all working together."

For James Moore, of Hattiesburg, that community response also means making overdose reversal medication as common as fire extinguishers or automated external defibrillators.

Moore lost his son, Jeffrey, to a heroin and fentanyl overdose in 2015. Since then, the co-owner of Moore's Bicycle Shop has become one of the state's most recognizable advocates for harm reduction, distributing hundreds of free naloxone kits through grants from the Mississippi State Department of Health.

He believes addiction should be treated first as a health issue.

"This is not a criminal issue," Moore said. "This is a health care issue."

Moore regularly teaches residents how to recognize an overdose and administer naloxone. He encourages families with someone in recovery to keep the medication in purses, glove compartments and medicine cabinets.

"I've handed out hundreds of doses of no-cost naloxone," he said. "People come back and tell me they successfully used it. Those doses have resulted in lives being saved."

Expanding access to naloxone has become one of the central goals for advocates across the state.

The Mississippi Public Health Institute has installed free naloxone vending machines in several communities, including Jackson, Hattiesburg and along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The machines dispense overdose reversal kits at no cost, allowing residents to obtain the medication any time of day without speaking to a pharmacist.

Moore said usage data from the Hattiesburg machine suggests many people are accessing naloxone during overnight emergencies.

"So many of the dispensing that takes place ... happens at one, two or three o'clock in the morning," he said. "Hopefully that is resulting in some lives being saved."

He believes naloxone should become as commonplace as automated external defibrillators found in schools, churches and government buildings.

"The next time you see an AED hanging on the wall," Moore said, "think, 'Why is there not an overdose response kit sitting on top of it?'"

State health officials say naloxone is safe to administer and recommend that anyone at risk of witnessing an opioid overdose keep it readily available. The medication temporarily reverses the effects of opioids, buying valuable time until emergency responders arrive.

For Gallagher, Rodenbaugh and Moore, every life saved represents hope that another family might be spared the grief they now carry.

Gallagher said awareness remains the strongest tool communities have.

"What the enemy meant for evil, the Lord can use for good," he said. "It's inspiring to see families gather the strength to support events like this so nothing like this could happen to another family."