Fierce, loving, protective, vibrant, simplistic
The human experience fascinated Blaise. He was a people-person, always trying to understand everyone else’s perspective. “Blaise had a gentle spirit, and never judged anyone,” his mother Sandra said. “He saw the good in people, no matter how hard and how deep he had to dig for it.” Straightforward but never unkind, Blaise devoted most of his time to his loved ones and was determined to do right by them. He loved spending time with them, whether it was dressing up and decorating for Halloween or simply hanging out with his beloved younger brother, Dustin.
When Blaise was 16, his father passed away unexpectedly. The loss affected him deeply, and he dropped out of high school to work as a landscaper. Ever the perfectionist, he found satisfaction in working a job until it was finished. At 18, he earned his GED and then a degree as an HVAC technician, all while working full-time. In recovery, Blaise found solace in non-fiction books and writing the story of his life.
Blaise lived with substance use disorder for eight years. Hope was a choice he made every day, and strength was what he prayed for every night. His dream was to overcome his addiction so he could guide others with SUD to recovery. Friends reached out to Sandra and Dustin after Blaise’s passing to share how he had helped them along their journey with his unwavering support and genuine friendship.
It was frustrating for Blaise’s family to see him not only fight addiction itself, but also prejudice and weak social support systems. It was more difficult to see him become someone he was not—untruthful and sometimes angry—and know that they could only watch. But even in these difficult times, Sandra admired Blaise’s strength.
“He knew how tough the battle was,” Sandra said. “He wanted to be in the trenches, helping others beat this disease that took hold of your ability to resist. He truly believed that this was a disease of the brain.”
“The strongest memory I have is Blaise’s last recurrence. I told him I would be there to support him, but that he needed to take the first steps. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But he did it, and he thanked me for making him take those steps. He felt like he was going to make it this time. Although that was not to be, I am extremely proud of him. As a mom, I will always feel like I should or could have done more to save him, but his words make it a little bit easier to live with his death.”
One evening, Blaise was found unconscious, given an overdose reversal drug by EMTs, and
rushed to the hospital. He left soon after, against medical advice. Blaise always dreaded the moment people discovered his disease and began treating him differently. He called a friend for a ride home, forbidding the medical staff to tell her the reason for his hospitalization. She left him alone to rest, unaware of the signs of fentanyl poisoning. The desire to be accepted as “normal” took his life.
Sandra misses Blaise’s hugs, his laugh, and his love. Her experience with her son’s SUD left her bitter, angry, and disappointed with the lack of resources for those in need—something she wants to change. Her goal is to honor Blaise’s wish to help others through their experiences with this disease.
Blaise’s mother, Sandra MacConnell, provided the information for this narrative.
November 14, 1986-July 30, 2021-Age 34
Portrait Artist: Jeremy Hebbel
Narrative Writer: Angela Day
