A young man with the rest of his life ahead of him, Michael was enjoying his first year of college in San Diego. Living with friends near the beach, he loved playing his guitar and making music — and adored sharing the experience with his sister who attended the same school and lived nearby. At twenty years old his journey was just beginning.
On February 24, 2020 his life was tragically lost. Michael passed away in the early morning hours from fentanyl poisoning, a powerful synthetic opioid. He was no way aware the counterfeit Percocet pill he ingested was actually a fatal dose of fentanyl. Michael was able to find this fake pill on the social media platform Snapchat, a platform where young people are easily finding these fake pills, and where there is minimal monitoring of drug traffickers and dealers targeting youth with illegal and fake drug sales. Michael was only 20 years old.
We know Michael would want to help others. He lived his life with an open heart, and believed in the power of knowledge and the importance of social justice. Michael was an empathetic soul, and had many friendships. His energy was gravitating and he would make your day with his smile. He loved his family, his friends, conversation, music, and his guitar. The foundation will move forward in Michael’s memory and with Michael’s spirit. We will forever miss Michael.
