Deborah Young
Long before the opioid epidemic was headline news, Deborah Young’s husband fell victim to its poisonous effects. Deborah wanted to get the word out about the dangers of these drugs with her own story of watching a loved one slowly fall into the abyss. Her heartbreaking memoir should be required reading for prescribers as well as chronic pain sufferers.
Deborah Young is a member of Our Saviour Lutheran Church in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where she is active in the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, Chix with Stix, and Bible Studies. She is also a founding member of their Christian Writers Group. Deborah works as a physical therapist assistant, where she strives to empower others. She is mother to two daughters, a son, and a tuxedo cat named Tootsie.
Deborah and Willie Young had the kind of marriage where they would call each other “Sweetie” and actually mean it. That’s what made Willie’s sudden death from accidental fentanyl poisoning all that much harder to handle. Deborah soon realized her grief journey wasn’t going to be as easy as simply moving on. Through her strong faith and patient support from family and friends, Deborah was able to overcome paralyzing sadness to appreciate life again. Her intimate story of survival sends the message that it is okay to heal at your own pace.
