Amy Deem has lost many people to drugs — the father of her two children, her brother and two cousins, including one whose body she found in her guest bedroom last year.
But Deem, 41, a life-long resident of Akron’s Kenmore neighborhood, is determined to turn these losses into something positive. She is leading a group called Save Our Youth/Stop the Violence/End the Silence that aims to raise awareness about both violence and drug abuse, particularly among youth.
The group, first formed three years ago, is gearing up for another event in May.
“I had enough of standing over graves,” Deem said in a recent interview at her home.
Deem said she lost her brother to methamphetamines in 2004 and the father of her children to an accidental drug overdose in 2008. Her cousin, Brandy Amaro, died from taking heroin while staying at her home in January 2015. A week after Amaro’s funeral, she lost another cousin to fentanyl, a powerful painkiller often mixed with heroin.
“It’s been rough, you know?” Deem asked, her voice cracking.
Amaro’s death was particularly difficult because Deem was trying to help her cousin, who had struggled with a heroin addiction for three years. Deem was letting Amaro, 33, stay with her while trying to get her cousin into a treatment program.
“I was trying to keep her strong until then,” Deem said.
On the morning of Jan. 13, Deem knocked on the door of Amaro’s room and got no response. The door was locked and the television on. Deem broke into the room and saw a spoon and an orange cap and Amaro lying on her stomach. She touched her and found her skin to be cold. She called 911.
“Just that image — that is something I don’t want to remember anymore,” Deem said.
Akron Detectives Tim Harvey and Mike Schmidt investigated and charged three people with providing Amaro with the drugs that killed her. Amaro’s 14-year-old relative is serving one year in a juvenile detention facility, while Brandon Bartoe, 20, of Barberton, was sentenced to four years in prison and Tydon Beaver, 20, of Akron, was sent away for three years.
Deem spoke at Bartoe’s sentencing in February, saying she has compassion for the three young people.
“I hope those involved will hear my plea to get your life in order, so no family will have to feel the same pain,” she said. “I forgive all of them.”
Deem plans to dedicate her life to helping people struggling with addiction. She is pursuing a degree in psychology and has applied for training to become a certified recovery coach. She also hopes the work of her anti-violence/anti-drug group will help combat the problem of so many young people dying.
“I will make sure her death was not in vain,” Deem said of Amaro.
While not familiar with Deem’s group, Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh said in a recent interview about heroin-death cases that she is heartened to hear about any efforts to address the heroin problem.
“I think the more things people do, the better,” Walsh said. “At a minimum, it’s increasing awareness. It helps surviving family members to try to do something positive.”
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705, swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com and on Twitter: @swarsmithabj.