Topeka mom fights fentanyl crisis after death of family members
TOPEKA (KSNT) - A local Topeka mom is using tragedy to support the community.
Amber Saale-Burger has lost four family members to the nation's ongoing fentanyl crisis. The most recent victim was her daughter.
"We lost our daughter five months ago to fentanyl poisoning," Saale-Burger said. "So, since she passed away, we've been kind of going full force trying to educate the community."
She and her family started the Facebook group 'Kaylee's Dad is Mad' and partnered with the national organization 'Fentanyl Fathers'. They organize pop-ups around northeast Kansas and even in nearby Missouri. She says they focus on getting Narcan, fentanyl test strips and other resources to distribute in the community to help fight fentanyl.
On Saturday, Feb. 10, Saale-Burger and others handed out Narcan and fentanyl test strips in Topeka at the intersection of Sixth Street and Clay Street. They mostly rely on donations from organizations like Prevention and Resiliency Services (PARS) and the Shawnee County Health Department (SCHD).
Saale-Burger and her family have made it their mission to stop fentanyl overdoses from striking elsewhere in the local community.
"We need donations, we need volunteers, we need people out here in the community to help love these people where they're at," Saale-Burger said. "If they're in active addiction; if they're not."
She says its been a challenge, but its also life-saving work. The distribution of fentanyl test strips and Narcan us worth the effort in her eyes.
"If we can save one person, if we can help one person get the help they need, then that's what we want to do," Saale-Burger said.
If you want to help Saale-Burger with her cause, you can make donations or volunteer. You can connect with her on Facebook by going to the 'Kaylee's Dad is Mad' page. Saale-Burger is also part of a group of northeast Kansans who will be featured in a documentary on the effects of fentanyl.
Fentanyl is described as a potent synthetic opioid drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for pain relief and for use as an anesthetic, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s website. Fentanyl can cause people to experience feelings of relaxation, euphoria, confusion and drowsiness. Overdosing on fentanyl can lead to life-threatening situations.
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