Man Who Lost Brother To Heroin Overdose Takes Part In Video To Save Lives

LAUREL, NY — Since Laurel resident Paul Maffetone, then 22, lost his brother Michael died at 29 of a heroin overdose in 2012, he has dedicated his life to raising awareness.

The heartache and grief of finding his brother, who died in their family’s bathroom, could have crippled Maffetone, but instead, he’s made it his life’s mission to shatter the stigma and save other young people from the horror and pain of heroin addiction.

To that end, he formed a not for profit group, Michael’s Hope, doing Narcan presentations, speaking at schools and community group meetings, and fighting back against a disease that has claimed scores of loved ones and left families and communities dealing with unthinkable loss.

Now, Maffetone was included in a new video commissioned by the Town of Brookhaven, to be presented on October 24 at 4 p.m. at Brookhaven Town Hall, located at 1 Independence Hill, during the town's Substance Abuse Awareness day, which includes Narcan training.

Maffetone, as well as Dr. Jeffrey Reynolds, president and chief executive officer of the Family and Children's Association in Mineola, and Steve Chassman, executive director of the Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, or LICADD, helped to create the piece, which will be shown at local libraries, school districts and other organizations with an eye toward raising awareness.

"It was such an honor to be a part of that project and to be among other people that are so involved in the prevention and education side of this epidemic," Maffetone said.

Maffetone's fierce mission has been to shatter the stigma of addiction so those struggling might not hesitate to admit they need help.

For Maffetone, the efforts touch a deeply personal chord: “The ugliest disease hides in the most beautiful people,” he said, adding that his aim is to shine a light for those struggling, showing them that there is “hope after dope.”

He added, “Watching my brother go through his addiction alone, because we couldn’t talk about it, due to the stigma, and also, knowing how my family and I felt —I wanted other families to know that they aren’t alone.”

Many families are grappling with the same heartache, he said. “We can be each other’s support, as well as support those dealing with addiction, and those in recovery,” Maffetone said. “If we kill the stigma attached to addiction and start the conversation about this disease, people will feel they can be more open about it. I never want another family member, friend, or addict to feel alone in a world where so many people are in the same shoes.”

Losing his brother was something that will forever color Maffetone’s world. “It was truly the most devastating thing I’ve ever had to deal with,” he said. “He was my best friend, my hero, my keeper. I shouldn’t have had to carry his casket down the church aisle when he was 29 years old.”

But in the years since, Maffetone said he has seen progress, as people step out of the shadows and speak about the addiction destroying lives and families.

"The biggest change we've seen is that the stigma behind it has lifted a lot. We want to break down the barriers of that stigma and allow people to talk about their addiction or a family member or loved one's addiction. People are saying the word 'heroin' a lot more, and coming out in recovery and saying they need help," Maffetone said. "A lot more family members are being honest about lost loved ones to overdoses."

School districts and local municipalities, too, are continuing to "open their eyes and say, 'Hey, this is a big problem,'" Maffetone said.

Despite all the good work he's done to help others, Maffetone said the pain and grief remain.

"Every day I'm reminded of the fact that I don’ have my brother there anymore," he said.

And yet, there are moments, such as when a a girl at a movie theater came running out of the bathroom, saying she needed Narcan. "The child of a woman we'd trained at a Narcan presentation said, 'My mom has Narcan.' And so we saved someone's life. It's things like that, that really hit home," Maffetone said. "My brother didn't die for no reason. There was a purpose behind his death. He didn't die in vain. He's saving lives. I'm saving lives."

Added Reynolds, "The path out of this crisis needs to include every segment of our community and it's great to see the Town of Brookhaven continuing to do its part to raise awareness and promote prevention. This video will help to put a human face and a loud voice on this epidemic and give families some concrete tips for staying safe. A huge thanks to Brookahaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine, the town board and the youth board for leading the way."