Worst year yet for opioid overdose deaths in Worcester

WORCESTER, Mass. — On Tuesday, 2,104 flags were on display on the front lawn of UMass Memorial in Worcester. The past year has been full of plenty of sorrow and a surge of addiction-related overdoses.

“It’s been brutal,” said Dr. Kavita Babu, the chief opioid officer at UMass Memorial.

Each flag represents a life that was special to someone somewhere.

“It’s an equal-opportunity killer and these are human beings we are talking about; lives lost, people love them,” said Amy Nichols, a certified addiction recovery coach.

A brother, father, sister, friend, co-worker or son.

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“He succumbed to the disease when he was 41. He passed away in 2013 on Mother’s Day, and I always tell people it’s not a good day to die but that really struck my heart,” said Eileen Lovejoy of Halo18 Worcester.

Lovejoy lost her son in 2013. The pandemic provided a worst-case scenario for those struggling.

“Anybody who understands addiction at all understands it’s a disease of isolation. So, what did COVID do? It caused all of us to have to go and isolate,” Nichols said.

A powerful substance driving the death toll in central Massachusetts and beyond is fentanyl.

The display Tuesday was meant to help others remember and serve as a reminder that more work needs to be done.

“Also, I want people to know who are struggling that recovery is possible. Recovery is such a beautiful thing and its possible for anyone,” said Brittany Chapman, the assistant director of the Overdose Prevention Fund.

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