Simon’s Story

Meet Simon O’Donnell.

June 10th, 1998 - May 9th, 2022

Simon was a bright and lively soul, always bouncing around and keeping his family on their toes. Despite being diagnosed with ADHD in grade school, he never let it slow him down. In fact, his energetic personality and talent for drumming won him many friends and admirers. Music was in his blood, just like the rest of his family.

After graduating college, Simon landed a job at CDW Corporation in Chicago and quickly became beloved by his colleagues and bosses. However, when the pandemic hit, Simon was forced to work from home, which proved to be a challenge for the extroverted young man who thrived on social interaction.

Tragically, on May 9th of last year, Simon passed away from fentanyl poisoning, just a month before his 24th birthday. Although Simon had occasionally used recreational drugs, he despised the fact that people would lace them with such lethal substances as fentanyl. Sadly, he never would have imagined it would happen to him.

Though Simon's passing has left a hole in his loved ones lives that can never be filled, his memory lives on in their hearts and his story will continue to raise awareness about the dangers of unintentional fentanyl ingestion. and the importance of harm reduction.