He was my world, and I was his
Morgan and his mother shared a very significant characteristic; they both had enormous hearts. “He had my heart wrapped in his body,” his mother said. Morgan’s big heart made him gravitate toward people who had difficult home lives or other problems. Most of them ended up at Morgan’s home, where Bonnie welcomed them and provided snacks, dinner and a safe place to relax and be themselves. “It was Morgan’s big heart that brought them to our home and mine that kept them here,” his mom said.
On her return from work, Morgan always greeted his mother by asking how her day went and she has many wonderful memories of them playing video games together. His journals, which Bonnie discovered later, revealed that he thought of her as his best friend and hero saying “we love each other to death,” and “she is my hero because she puts everyone before herself.” She also heard stories about his big heart from others, like the time he gave his coat and $5.00 to a homeless person wearing only a tank top and jeans on a below zero winter night. “I wondered why he told me he needed a new coat,” his mom said. ‘That’s how he was, if he could help, he would.’
Morgan’s substance use began as a teen with marijuana, but accelerated to heroin when he was given a joint laced with it without his knowledge. He chased the new high he experienced and soon told his mother he needed help. He went to rehab and then some outpatient treatment, but relapsed. He didn’t see a future for himself and said: “What is the point of the future when I could die tomorrow?” It was decided that Morgan would go on the road with his grandfather, who was a trucker. He was able to quit using drugs for the three months he was on the road and was making plans for his life for the first time. His mother was hearted to hear he was coming back home to apply to the electrical union. He also shared his thoughts about eventually having a family. Unfortunately, Morgan relapsed before his plans could be realized and passed away one month after being home and after four months of sobriety.
Since Morgan’s death, Bonnie has earned a master’s degree in mental health counseling and works in a group home for abused and neglected youth. The kids gravitate to her and her open heart, and tell her about their experiences. She is focused on helping them move forward rather than dwelling on past circumstances or mistakes. She is also preparing to start a non-profit called Morgan’s Light to provide services to address the body, mind and spiritual needs of people with substance use disorder and those affected by it. “If I can help these kids who would otherwise turn to drugs, suicide or alcohol, I feel I am doing important work in the world,” she said.
Morgan’s mother, Bonnie Kane, provided the information for this narrative.
September 26, 1996-April 25, 2017
Age 20-Lived with the disease of addiction 2 ½ years
