A grieving mother has shared the devastating story of losing her teenage son to a fatal overdose, hoping to warn other families about the dangers of prescription drugs being sold illegally.
Tanya Hilling, 43, from Ipswich, was left in agony after discovering her son, Kieron, unconscious following a mix of Xanax and morphine.
In a heart-wrenching interview, she described how she tried desperately to wake him, only to find he was already brain-dead.
A Mother’s Desperate Attempt to Save Her Son
Tanya recalled the terrifying moment when she found Kieron lying motionless in his room.
“I tried to wake him up because he’d been asleep for hours,” she explained.
When she nudged him, she noticed he was bleeding from his mouth and nose, and his lips had turned blue.
In a panic, Tanya called for an ambulance, and the operators instructed her to move him to the floor. Despite her efforts, the paramedics arrived to find Kieron’s condition grave.
“They said he had a tiny heartbeat, but if he woke up, there would be severe brain damage,” she said, her voice trembling. Tragically, Kieron never regained consciousness.
A Family’s Struggle With Drug Addiction
Kieron’s family believes he obtained the drugs from friends after falling in with the wrong crowd.
The youngest of four brothers, Kieron had once been a promising footballer, with trials at top clubs like Norwich City and Chelsea FC. But around the age of 13 or 14, he began to lose interest in his sport and drifted into a dangerous world of substance abuse.
His older brother, Connor Hickman, 23, a writer, explained how Kieron’s life began spiraling out of control when he started experimenting with prescription drugs such as Xanax and morphine.
“His friends introduced him to them, and that’s when everything changed,” Connor said.
A Plea for Support and Understanding
Connor spoke of the difficulty of getting through to Kieron, despite many attempts from family members to intervene.
“He started to withdraw, and no matter how many times we spoke to him, it didn’t seem to make a difference,” Connor shared.
“His family, including his brothers and parents, sat down with him, but it was his friends that had the biggest influence on him.”
He added, “Kieron always wanted to fit in, and peer pressure from the wrong people led him down a dark path.”
The Hickman family is devastated by their loss, and Connor believes that more support should be available in Ipswich and other areas to help people like Kieron before it’s too late.
“The whole family is broken,” Connor said, fighting back tears.
“We want to remember Kieron for the loving, happy boy he was, not the person he became because of drugs.”
Raising Awareness and Honoring Kieron’s Memory
In an effort to honor Kieron’s memory and raise awareness about the dangers of prescription drug abuse, the family has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover funeral expenses.
“We want to give Kieron the farewell he truly deserves,” Connor said.
They hope their story will serve as a wake-up call for others, urging people to be more aware of the dangers of illegally sold prescription drugs.
“We just want to raise awareness about these drugs and the damage they can do,” Connor added.