Bridge To Healing: Mom Honors Legacy Of Daughter Lost To Opioids

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, IL — Almost two years ago, Aisha Betancourt, a Chicago Heights mother, lost her 25-year-old daughter BreAna Betancourt-Esquivel, after a nearly eight-year battle with opioid addiction. When Aisha lost her daughter, she said she wanted to honor her life.

"My daughter was very smart, beautiful, funny and witty. She was really successful throughout her high school career ... and she spoke as class president during her graduation ceremony," Aisha said.

Just before her senior year began, BreAna wanted to have "a little more freedom," her mom said. The student with a bright and promising future moved out, and during this time she started experimenting with marijuana and alcohol, while still managing to exceed in school, scoring several scholarships to Illinois State University.

According to her mother, when BreAna started college, she joined a sorority and partied most of her first year, being introduced to Adderall. During that time, she lost her scholarships and came home to her mother, and soon after she was diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis. The diagnosis introduced her to new pain medications, according to her mother.

"She would journal the amounts and types of pain medication [doctors] would give her, and the nurse's name, as a way to track how it made her feel," Aisha said. "Her doctor prescribed her Xanax for her sleeplessness and anxiety, and the Xanax is what would have become her drug of choice. The main thing for about eight years until she died."

Aisha said there were times that BreAna was "fun-loving" but that her family didn't understand that her addiction was progressing. She said they "didn't know how to handle it." In 2017, BreAna had her first child, and Aisha said it was during this time that BreAna really pushed herself to cut her addiction. But after undergoing a bad breakup, Aisha said things got worse.

"She suffered from postpartum depression. And then of course the substance use," Aisha said. "When she was relaxing, or wanted to relax, that's when she would become very angry and her mental health was affected. She had suicidal ideation, and she began to self harm, and during her last two years she was hospitalized a few times."

After a falling out with her family, BreAna lived with a friend for the last several months of her life, in a place where Aisha said drug use and dealing is very common.

Then on May 15, 2019, BreAna died. Her cause of death was combined drug toxicity due to alprazolam and heroin, Aisha said.

"I spent most of her last years treating my daughter like she was making bad choices, but she was actually very sick, and as her illness progressed I spent a lot of time in the idea of 'I can't believe we're going through this,' instead of 'what can I really do to help her,'" Aisha said. "We skipped that stage and went straight to 'I can't believe she died.'"

Aisha went on to say, "Now that she's gone, part of my grieving journey is to keep her memory alive, because she was worthy of that. And because I always told her she was a world changer, and although I didn't think her story was going to end like this. I really thought she was going to get through her addiction and she was going to be able to help other people. She didn't get through her addiction the way I thought she would, but [her story] is an opportunity to help other people."

Aisha knew she wanted to help others in her situation. After joining several support groups on Facebook, she said she discovered a cultural divide.

Aisha said in Black and Hispanic communities, those who were addicted were often criminalized and people would declare a “war on drugs.” She said white suburban communities often labeled addiction as a national epidemic with everyone trying to find help for those suffering. With this, Aisha created her own support group on Facebook, the #breanaland project.

"I founded Breanaland because I wanted to be a bridge where — no matter your ethnicity — we can come together, share our stories and help heal one another," Aisha said. "We’re constantly talking about the factors that lead our loved ones to addiction, and discussing potential solutions. This group has really helped restore my faith in humanity."

Aisha said the support groups have led her to connect with families in similar situations across the country. These connections help her move forward with life.

"I've had a lot of moms come to me who haven't been able to talk to anybody else about what they're going through. There is just too much negative ideas surrounding addicts, or people who suffer from a substance use disorder," Aisha said. "My way of saying sorry is to make it up to her for the rest of my life, by trying to help other kids like her. I want to be able to live a life that is worthy of seeing her again some day."

As a way to commemorate her daughter's life, Aisha is celebrating National Black Balloon Day, Saturday, March 6. Black Balloon Day is used to remember and celebrate the lives of those who died due to opioid addiction. According to Aisha, people who have lost loved ones to opioid addiction hang black balloons outside their homes.

In the evening hours on Saturday, Aisha said she and two other moms will be hosting a Facebook Live event to connect with others around the country who are taking part in the national day. Learn more about the event on the Facebook page, here.