Bev Kelley-Miller founded The Megan Kelley Foundation after her daughter, Megan, Forever 22, died from a heroin overdose on April 14, 2015. Addiction is a family disease that affects one in every three families. Often the stigmas of addiction prevent people from openly talking about the devastating effects of addiction. The opioid epidemic takes 175 people a day every single day across the United States. “Just Say No” campaigns do not work.

 

The mission of the Megan Kelley Foundation is to raise awareness about addiction and to bring a message of hope through education and prevention efforts to students, parents and community members.

 

I have dedicated myself to doing what I can to prevent this from happening to another human being--to someone else’s child, partner, friend, parent, relative. Addiction does not discriminate! What happened to Megan, can happen to anyone.

 

I am also committed to changing how society treats addiction and mental illness. No other diseases have been criminalized to the degree that addiction and mental illness have--dual diagnosis is a really tough place to be especially in the State of Wisconsin which separated those two issues many years ago.  Society needs to recognize that these diseases are chronic and relapsing and that ongoing access to effective treatment and recovery services are essential to breaking the cycle of addiction and criminal behavior. Treatment needs to be the first priority. Remember DEAD people can NEVER recover. It’s more important than incarcerating people.

 

The Megan Kelley Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.