Becky Savage’s activism grew out of the most heartbreaking scenario a mother could face – the death of a child. Or, in Savage’s case, the loss of two sons, Nick and Jack, on the same morning after a round of parties celebrating Jack’s 2015 high school graduation in Granger, Indiana.
Savage, a nurse and mother for four sons, had waited up for her two older boys on that fateful June night, and as always, they arrived home before curfew with a couple of friends in tow. They checked in with her and went to the kitchen to grab some snacks.
The next morning, as Savage gathered laundry from Jack’s bedroom, she noticed his angelic expression as he slept, almost too soundly. Surely he’s breathing, she thought. She shook him, then shouted his name and felt for a pulse. She couldn’t find one.
She yelled for her older son’s help as she dialed 911, but Nick didn’t answer. She began to administer CPR on Jack until the paramedics arrived and took over resuscitation attempts. One paramedic abandoned Jack to take another call. It had originated from the Savages’ basement. Nick’s friends, unable to awaken him, had summoned an ambulance.
Savage was frantic and confused. Did her home have a gas leak? Nick’s friends then confessed someone had brought prescription drugs to the graduation party, and both sons had swallowed a pill. It made no sense. Nick and Jack always seemed to make good decisions. Why would they take somebody else’s medication? Savage never found out what led to that one choice. During the night, Nick and Jack died of a lethal combination of alcohol and the potent painkiller oxycodone.
The Savages’ tragedy was compounded by thoughts of how it could have been prevented. Becky and Mike Savage were proactive parents who spoke candidly with their sons about drinking, drugs, and sex, but they had never thought to discuss prescription drug experimentation.
Dwelling in the “what-ifs” couldn’t change the outcome or allow them to give younger sons Justin and Matthew the full lives they deserved. As the family members painfully moved forward, they searched for something good to do with the money donated to the Nick and Jack Savage Memorial Fund.
Conversation saves lives
If Savage, a trained health care professional working toward her master’s degree, did not have prescription meds on her radar, and if her boys were unaware of their deadly possibilities, then there must be thousands of others just like them.
Exactly one year after their loss, Becky and Mike Savage created a nonprofit to educate other families about the dangers of alcohol and prescription drug misuse. They lovingly called it The 525 Foundation, a combination of the boys’ hockey numbers:
5 and 25 and a nod to Jack’s May 25 birthday.
The 525 Foundation’s first goal was to reduce medicine cabinet drugs at high school parties. They worked with law enforcement and their U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency partners to promote Take Back Days and establish easy drop-off points for expired and unused medications.
The foundation shares information about the latest drug trends and recommendations for parents, such as keeping a few doses of Narcan on hand to reverse symptoms of an opioid overdose. The website (www.525foundation.org) provides conversation starters designed to generate open and in-depth dialogue. Think five-minute chats, code words for uncomfortable situations, or quick role-plays rather than lectures.
“Real and honest conversations save lives,” Savage says, noting that there were more than 100,300 opioid overdose deaths in the United States in 2021 – a 28.5% increase over the prior year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Savage began talking about what happened to her family at school assemblies and was astounded by the response from students.
“I can’t tell you how many teens have told me they changed their party or prom plans after hearing our story.”
The 525 Foundation’s powerful message catapulted Savage into unexpected roles. She has become a mentor to other nonprofits, and she is a nationally requested speaker. She, Mike, and their son Matthew appeared on The Megyn Kelly Show, and she testified about the opioid crisis in front of the U.S. Senate. She resigned as a university nursing program professor to campaign full-time for overdose prevention. In 2022, she added “author” to her resume.
One choice
Savage penned a book titled #OneChoice: How Ten Seconds Can Change Your Life, printed by Naples-based O’Leary Publishing. Savage tried an unusual approach – narrating the story in her sons’ voices.
“It was important to me to have Nick and Jack involved. This is their way of still making a difference,” Savage says. “I want kids to relate to them and think, ‘OMG, that could be me’.”
The book cover features Nick and Jack standing side-by-side, sporting fresh haircuts and matching hockey jerseys. Born 18 months apart, the boys were best friends, athletes, hockey captains, and honor students. Nick (19),
calm and steady, had just finished his first year at Indiana University at Bloomington, studying chemistry and microbiology. The adventurous, fun-loving Jack (18) was enrolled at Ball State University to major in business.
The book’s point-of-view switches to Becky Savage for the final chapters, which are infused with heart-rending details. Nick had difficulty swallowing medication, and his mom wonders if somebody crushed the Oxy pill for him as she’d done with his Tylenol.
In presenting their story from the voices of real, nuanced teenagers, Savage attempts to remove the stigma surrounding accidental overdoses.
“What if we were held accountable for our worst decision? No second chances, no mercy?” she asks. “No one is immune from making poor choices. Kids should have an opportunity to learn from their mistakes, not die.”
Savage ends the book with a resource guide on common drugs, their slang names and emoji codes, and symptoms.
April O’Leary, the founder of O’Leary Publishing, said the book achieved #1 New Release rankings for its category on Amazon. In February, Savage appeared at the publisher’s Booked Naples 2022 event, where she told her story to a silent, stunned audience.
Whenever Savage takes the stage, she is reminded of the “protective barrier” that has forged around her heart, allowing her to speak bluntly about the topic that has solidified her life’s purpose. She is still teaching, still saving lives, and she gets to talk about Nick and Jack every day, which she loves. She tries to find “the Nick and Jack” in every crowd, and she speaks to them directly, challenging kids, who are tackling the same peer pressures her sons faced, to make good decisions.
In March 2022, the 525 Foundation gave 2,500 copies of #OneChoice to more than 30 schools nationwide. Savage sees the books as one more way to get kids, teachers, and parents talking.
“Let those life-saving conversations begin.”
Karen Hanlon is a freelance writer living in Naples who first heard Becky Savage speak at a Booked Naples 2022 event.
Five Steps to Take Right Now
Talk to your kids about opioids.
Know your facts. Teens tune out half-truths, myths, and cluelessness.
Follow The 525 Foundation on social media for conversation tips and trends.
Buy/share/discuss #OneChoice. Becky Savage might join your virtual book club!
Clean out your medicine cabinet with your children. Make it a big deal.
Collier County provides thirteen permanent drop-off sites for the disposal of unwanted medications. Visit https://drugfreecollier.org/initiatives/operation-medicine-cabinet-drop-off-locations/
Purchase #OneChoice: How Ten Seconds Can Change Your Life here.