To the Memory of the Sons and Daughters We Carry With Us

They were loved. They still are.

Honoring Lives, Supporting Families

The Dying Generations stands with mothers who have lost sons and daughters to drug overdose — offering grief support, honest information on fentanyl, and a community that doesn't ask you to grieve quietly.

Find Support Fentanyl Facts Support Us
18–44
Overdose is the leading cause of death for Americans in this age range
~73,000
Overdose deaths in the 12 months ending August 2025 — still tens of thousands of families changed forever
69%
Of overdose deaths in 2023 involved synthetic opioids, primarily illicit fentanyl

Source: CDC National Vital Statistics System & CDC Overdose Prevention data. Figures are national estimates and change as data is finalized.

Why we exist

No mother should carry this alone.

Losing a son or daughter to overdose is a grief that too often comes wrapped in silence, judgment, and shame that was never yours to carry. The Dying Generations was built to change that — connecting mothers to real grief support, arming families with accurate fentanyl information, and turning private loss into a community that shows up for each other.

Why this exists

This isn't theory to me.

My name is Carol. I'm 35 years into my own recovery, an ordained minister, and a mother who has lived this loss.

My son started using after he lost his father. What began as a way to cope escalated into opioids, and addiction pulled him through cycles of incarceration as he chased the drug. In the end, he died as a direct result of that addiction.

I started The Dying Generations because I know what it is to sit in three seats at once — the person in recovery, the mother left behind, and the one who's often asked to offer spiritual comfort to others in their darkest hour. If you're reading this after losing a son or daughter, I'm not offering you theory or statistics I read somewhere. I'm offering you a hand from someone who is still standing, still believing, and who wants you to have somewhere to stand too.

— Carol Booker, Founder & Ordained Minister

Books

Words for the road you're walking.

Written from inside this loss, not about it. Each one is available through Amazon.

Imprisoned by Life: A Mother's Journey Through Addiction, Loss, and Recovery, by Carol Booker

Imprisoned by Life

Memoir

The story of addiction, recovery, and the years that led here — told plainly, by someone who lived every page of it.

Buy on Amazon
Imprisoned by Life: Companion Workbook, by Carol Booker

Imprisoned by Life

Companion Workbook

A guided journal that walks alongside the memoir, chapter by chapter — reflection questions, exercises, and room to write your own way toward freedom.

Buy on Amazon
Carrying Them Forward: Meditations for a Mother's Grief, by Carol Booker

Carrying Them Forward

Daily Meditations

Meditations for a mother's grief — short readings for the days when a whole chapter is more than you can hold.

Buy on Amazon
Carrying Him
Forward
A Workbook

Carrying Him Forward

Workbook

A guided workbook for mothers grieving a child lost to overdose. Room to write, and questions worth sitting with.

Coming soon

Proceeds support the grief work of The Dying Generations.

Every flame is a name someone still says out loud. This is the Wall of Light — add your son or daughter's name when you're ready.

Gary Lee Ewing
June 21, 1981 – August 4, 2023
Forever loved, forever missed. Gary’s light continues to guide the mission of The Dying Generations.

Add a name to the Wall of Light

Submitted names are reviewed before they're added to the public wall — you'll never see something appear here that wasn't lovingly approved first.

For the women carrying this

Daily Strength

Tuesday, September 8

“Recovery and grief can live in the same body at the same time. You don't have to choose which one wins today.”

You are not the only one

Grief support built for this specific loss.

General grief resources rarely account for the stigma that comes with losing someone to overdose — and sometimes what helps most is spiritual support, not just clinical care. Reach out directly, or connect with these trusted organizations.

Direct From Our Founder

Pastoral & Spiritual Care

As an ordained minister with 35 years in recovery, Carol offers one-on-one pastoral support for mothers grieving a son or daughter lost to overdose — prayer, presence, and conversation, on your terms, with no judgment attached.

Call 463-315-3690 →
Peer Support

GRASP

Grief Recovery After a Substance Passing connects parents and families who've lost someone to addiction or overdose with local and virtual peer groups, at no cost.

grasphelp.org →
24/7 Crisis Support

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Free, confidential support for grief, emotional distress, or crisis — call or text 988, any hour, any day.

988lifeline.org →
Treatment & Referral

SAMHSA National Helpline

A free, confidential 24/7 referral line in English and Spanish for families navigating substance use, grief, and treatment options. Call 1-800-662-4357.

samhsa.gov →
Bereaved Parents

The Compassionate Friends

A long-running national network of chapters supporting parents and families grieving the death of a child, of any cause.

compassionatefriends.org →
Find Local Help

FindTreatment.gov

A federal directory to locate substance use treatment and family support services near you.

findtreatment.gov →
Family Advocacy

Song for Charlie

A family-led organization raising awareness of fentanyl-poisoned pills, built by parents who've lived this loss.

songforcharlie.org →

Know the facts

What fentanyl is, and what it does.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid roughly 50 times more potent than heroin. It's increasingly pressed into counterfeit pills and mixed into other drugs — often without the person knowing. Understanding the signs of overdose saves lives.

  • Signs of an overdose

    Pinpoint pupils, slow or stopped breathing, gurgling or gasping sounds, blue or gray lips and fingertips, and unresponsiveness — even to a firm knuckle rub on the chest.

  • Naloxone can reverse it

    Naloxone (often known by the brand Narcan) blocks opioid receptors and can restore breathing within minutes. It's available without a prescription in most states and has no effect if opioids aren't involved, so it's safe to use if you're unsure.

  • Fentanyl test strips

    Inexpensive test strips can detect fentanyl in pills or powders before use. They're a harm-reduction tool, not a guarantee — a strip can miss unevenly mixed batches.

  • It hides in counterfeit pills

    Illicit fentanyl is often pressed into pills made to look like OxyContin, Percocet, Xanax, or Adderall. There's no way to tell by sight, taste, or smell.

NIDA: Naloxone Facts SAMHSA Overdose Toolkit CDC Overdose Data
If you suspect an overdose, right now

Act immediately.

  1. Call 911. Say you suspect an opioid overdose.
  2. Give naloxone if you have it, following the package instructions.
  3. Lay them on their side, stay with them, and keep them breathing until help arrives.
  4. A second dose of naloxone can be given after 2–3 minutes if there's no response.
Call 911 Call or Text 988

988 connects you to the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for emotional distress, grief, or crisis support — for you or someone you love.

For organizations

Partner with The Dying Generations.

Treatment centers, harm-reduction organizations, funeral homes, faith communities, and businesses can support this work directly and reach families who need it.

Community Partner

Local & Grassroots

  • Logo on our partners page
  • Mention in our monthly newsletter
  • Listed at community events
Advocate Partner

Regional Organizations

  • Everything in Community, plus:
  • Co-branded awareness materials
  • Invitation to speak at our events
  • Quarterly impact report
Legacy Partner

National Sponsors

  • Everything in Advocate, plus:
  • Featured homepage placement
  • Named sponsorship of a program (grief support, naloxone access, or awareness campaign)
  • Direct collaboration on outreach strategy

Become a partner

Tell us about your organization and how you'd like to be involved.

Phone 463-315-3690
Email TheDyingGenerationsLLC@outlook.com