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.

Simon's BirdieLight Story, family photo

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.

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Disclaimer


The information on this website is not intended as medical advice; Dr. Weinstock is a physician but not YOUR physician. While we advocate for the life-saving potential of tools such as fentanyl test strips and naloxone, BirdieLight is not the manufacturer of these tools, and no tool is 100% accurate all the time. BirdieLight makes no representations that these tools are 100% accurate; any reliance you place on them is strictly at your own risk. Please keep in mind that while fentanyl test strips are a powerful detection tool for the potentially-lethal presence of fentanyl in illegal pills and powder, the strips have been determined to be 92-96% sensitive in detecting fentanyl. Remember, never use any substance when you are alone (tell a friend you are taking something!) and that friend should always know where the naloxone (Narcan) is.