Ottawa father pleads for help from other parents as opioid crisis spreads
OTTAWA — An Ottawa father is urging parents of opioid-addicted teens to establish a network to save lives — the focus of a letter he shared on social media that has generated responses from other parts of Canada and the United States.
On New Year’s Eve, Sean O’Leary found himself performing CPR on one of his daughter’s teenage friends who was sprawled in his garage near death.
It took about 50 chest compressions before the 17-year-old boy started breathing again, O’Leary said. Paramedics arrived to save the teen, but O’Leary said the traumatic experience prompted his online appeal to other parents.
He said Monday he imagines it will be much easier to watch over his 16-year-old daughter Paige if he’s connected with other families going through similar struggles.