Alec

Alec

What remarkable journeys have people faced head-on against addiction? This conversation centres on Armando sharing the life and loss of his son Alec, who died at 25 from a fentanyl-related overdose. Rather than reducing him to a statistic, Armando paints Alec as a "ball of fire" – a gifted young athlete, loving father to his daughter Kylie, and much-loved son and brother.

You’ll hear how Alec’s story began with a typical, active childhood, then shifted when he experimented with marijuana at school, later moving on to psychedelics, heroin and eventually fentanyl. Armando explains how addiction quietly took hold out of sight, even in a home filled with sports, family trips and strong values, and how it strained relationships within the family, especially with Alec’s younger brother.

Drawing on more than 30 years in law enforcement and banking investigations, Armando admits that nothing prepared him for the call telling him his son was gone. He talks about multiple rehab attempts, the problem of sending someone who isn’t ready for change, and the difference between quality treatment centres and those that simply chase insurance money. His phrase from a friend, "once you’re on that train, it’s hard to get off," hangs over the whole conversation.

For anyone grieving overdose loss, Armando offers practical coping ideas: talk openly with trusted friends, family, or a therapist; learn about addiction rather than shaming your loved one; and accept that relapse is often part of the process. He also shares how writing his book, *Addiction’s Grip: A Father’s Story of Loss*, became part of his healing, and how he now raises Alec’s daughter while keeping her father’s memory loving and human.

If you’re carrying similar pain, could hearing another parent’s story give you a little comfort and a sense that you’re not as alone as you might feel?