Save The Next One - Belfast dad uses son's drugs death to educate kids
A Belfast dad is using his grief at his own son's drugs death to try and save other families from going through the same ordeal.
Last updated 16th Mar 2018
William Burns' son Jamie died at just 23-years-old in November 2016, after taking one pill on a night out.
It triggered an underlying heart condition, with Jamie later dying in hospital.
William now runs the 'One Pill Will Kill' initiative in his memory, hoping to educate children and young people to the dangers of the drugs they may be taking.
William says he still remembers vividly the night a police officer called to his door to speak to him about Jamie.
"They said you need to get to hospital, there's been an accident," he said.
"I said 'what do you mean, accident?'
"He said 'they think it might be drugs'."
The family rushed to the hospital and were greeted by the sight of Jamie hooked up to various machines, with doctors working to try and save his life.
For his dad, even though it's been more than a year, one image stands out in particular.
"I saw my son sitting on this cold metal trolley, with his life draining away," he said.
"But the thing that got me more than anything, was that they had cellotaped his eyes shut."
Doctors had done so in order to stop them from opening while they worked on him.
Sadly though, that work was in vain and Jamie died a short while later.
"I can still see it now, the doctor walking straight down the corridor," said William.
"He knelt between me and my wife and said 'I'm sorry, I don't know how to tell you this, but he's gone'."
Worse was to follow for the grieving family though, while they waited with Jamie in the minutes after his death.
A common side effect in drugs deaths is that the victim may end up hemorrhaging even after their death, which is what happened with Jamie.
"The ward sister eventually came in and said to me to leave him be, that it was normal," said William.
"So the last sight I had of Jamie, was him lying on the trolley, dead, completely covered in blood."
William now spends his time working with children, young people and parents, to make them aware of the danger of drugs.
He carries with him his son's ashes in a small box and bag to drive home his message.
He has claimed one of the most worrying aspects is that young people don't know what impact their death could have on their families.
"It leaves a massive hole in your life," he said.
"The kids don't realise what effect they have.
"I'll be sitting here at 3am, in the dark, because I can't sleep. You don't sleep."
He also highlighted the fact that there is no way of knowing what is contained in the drugs that are being bought and used.
"The drugs are mixed with whatever the drug dealer can get," he warned.
"He'll mix it with rat poison, fentanyl, other opioid drugs, heroin, talcum powder, you name it.
"If it makes him more money, he'll do it."
The initiative he is involved in now sees him going to schools, community groups and sometimes even directly to young people's houses to pass on what he has learned.
He hopes that his work can make his son proud.
"If there is a God and there are the big pearly white gates, when it's my turn I want to go to those gates," he said,
"I want to see my son and seem him smiling.
" And he'll say 'that's my dad. He saved so many lives.'"
If you wish to contact us to tell us your story of how drugs have impacted your life, you can do so by emailing news@downtown.co.uk or if you wish to seek help for addiction issues, more information can be found here.