SAN DIEGO — Monique and Sam Tallo say it is "heartbreaking" to nearly lose a child due to drugs.
"I thought, perhaps, they were at the wrong house," said Monique, detailing the moment two officers came to her home to tell the family their 17-year-old son had overdosed.
Donovan Tallo took the first hit of when he and his friends thought it was cocaine. The drug was actually fentanyl.
Donovan became unresponsive, but first responders administered naloxone, which reverses the effects of an overdose. Donovan was rushed to the hospital but ultimately survived.
"I'm so angry and ask myself how did we get here," said Monique.
Donovan is currently in a rehabilitation facility, but his parents said they called more than 100 facilities before finding one with room available and something they could even come close to affording.
"This is insane. How do families even manage to get through this?" asked Sam, referring to the cost of the rehab.
Monique created a gofundme campaign to help cover the medical and rehab expenses.
The parents hope that sharing their stories will encourage other parents to have difficult conversations with their children about drugs.
"We've shared with other families and they've said well our kids are too young, I don't want to have these conversations in front of them or not yet. Well if not now then when, cause when it's too late, it's too late," said Monique.
The San Diego Sheriff's Department is handing out free Harm Reduction Kits at calls for service, saying overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in San Diego County.
The distribution program started in December and deputies have distributed 161 Harm Reduction Kits while responding to calls since then, according to a press release.
The sheriff's department also published instructional videos on how to use what is in the kits, including Narcan, which can reverse the effects of an overdose.
Sheriff Kelly Martinez calls the program "a compassionate approach to the opioid epidemic impacting our communities."
Harm Reduction Kits can also be picked up at any sheriff's station or substation, "no questions asked."
