In Delaware, the race against addiction grows

Don and Jeanne Keister never dreamed of becoming advocates. 

But when their 24-year-old son, Tyler, died in Dec. 2012 from a fatal heroin overdose, the Keister’s future shifted. 

Standing over his son's hospital bed where Tyler survived on life support, Don wondered how he would keep his son's memory alive, while trying to save the lives of others. On Saturday, five years later, in the parking lot of St. Peter's Church in Old New Castle, the thousands of people gathered in front of him was a testament to that goal.

"Anytime I can help someone, it makes me feel like I'm helping Tyler," Don said. 

Shortly after Tyler's death, Don and Jeanne Keister ignored the advice of doctors and loved ones to not make any major decisions within the first year. Instead, they formed atTAcK Addiction, with the capitalized letters in attack spelling out their son's initials.

On what would have been Tyler's 25th birthday, they held the nonprofit's first 5K. 

Jeanne prayed for 150 people to come out. But on that bitter cold Saturday in March, 950 people showed up. 

"It was horrible," Jeanne said with a laugh, remembering laying in bed in the days leading up to the race and refreshing the registration page only to see more and more names appear. Don jokingly suggested she stop checking.

Despite her concerns, the race went off without a hitch – and offered a window into a community that had been ignored for years.

On Saturday, more than 2,600 people registered for what the Keisters now consider to be a rally rather than a 5K. Even more showed up to support and volunteer. 

"It's overwhelming," said Teri Algeo, who walked in the race for the first time this year. Her daughter, Katrina, died on June 14, 2015, at 22, just two weeks after completing rehab. 

The sign Alego carried bore a picture of her smiling daughter. Throughout the crowd, hundreds more faces just like Katrina's smiled back.

'A club you never wanted to belong to'

On the second Tuesday of every month, members of atTAcK Addiction pack the lower school library at Caravel Academy. The chairs are small, but their work is big: Fighting the opioid and heroin epidemic — and putting a stop to their group’s ever growing numbers. 

That meeting is where Barry and Rosemary Cobb found themselves in the months after their son's death.

Brendan, who had been in recovery for over six years, died in October at the age of 33 after an accidental fentanyl overdose, according to his parents.

Like the Keisters, the Cobbs were in search of a way to memorialize their son's life beyond an obituary.

"What positive things can we do to honor our son and help others who are struggling with this terrible affliction?" Barry said he asked himself. 

Their son, like many, fell into addiction in his teenage years, dabbling with marijuana and alcohol before transitioning to harder drugs like heroin. For years, the Cobbs – who live north of Wilmington – struggled to get their son the help he needed, watching him cycle through rehabilitation and recovery homes at a time when addiction was not talked about.

It wasn't until Brendan ended up in Bel Air, Maryland, that he found a community that supported recovery, allowing him to get a job and get back to a sense of normalcy. 

"They were all fighting, struggling together, literally arm-in-arm, supporting each other," Barry Cobb said. "It was getting back to normal life circumstances with a job and a social life and such. It was really that community that supported him in doing that."

Now, the Cobbs have found a similar community for themselves within atTAcK Addiction.

Members of the nonprofit are some of the most recognized faces down at Legislative Hall in Dover, largely because they spend so much time lobbying and advocating for men and women like their children whose battle with addiction was deemed more of a moral failing than a disease. 

The group remains a driving force in passing legislation, including the Good Samaritan 911 law and funding for the overdose antidote naloxone.

Delaware Attorney General Matt Denn urged those at Saturday's rally to continue their work after they crossed the finish line and call their state legislator once they got home. He, along with atTAcK Addiction and other organizations, are looking for the support of the General Assembly to get funds for more treatment in the state.

They also hope to open a recovery high school within Red Clay Consolidated School District aimed at aiding some of the youngest people struggling with addiction.

That particular effort resonates with the Cobbs, both of whom believe earlier education for young people could make a difference in stemming the rise of addiction, especially with Brendan. They hope to further help those efforts in the coming months.

"It's a club you never wanted to belong to," said Brendan's mother, Rosemary. "But we are."

'We start and finish the race together'

Tyler Keister would have celebrated his 30th birthday this year, a milestone that often accompanies life moments like marriage or the birth of a first child. 

Thinking of these stolen moments can be the hardest for families who have lost loved ones – the missed opportunities and experiences where a son or daughter should be, but isn't.

The Keisters still celebrate Tyler's birthday, but in many ways, the true party is the annual 5K race and rally. 

Their group, Ty's Buccaneers, donned bright teal sweatshirts for the blustery day, and Don and Jeanne accepted hugs and praise for yet another race and reminder that addiction is still alive in Delaware.

More than 160 teams carried signs emblazoned with slogans and memories of those no longer able to walk the winding course.

A Hug From Matt. Hope Dealers. She Was More. Robbie's Rebels. Michael's Mark. 

Each year, there are more signs. 

It's a tremendous signal of support for a community that can often feel isolated and alone. But it's also a reminder that Delaware's battle with heroin and opioid addiction is far from over.

"Every person in this room has a piece of this heartache," Jeanne Keister said, surveying the packed gymnasium Saturday.

She admitted that she doesn't know when the state will see a decline in overdose deaths. Before final totals, Delaware recorded at least 233 suspected overdoses last year.

"Just think if we didn't have naloxone, the state we'd be in today," Jeanne said. In 2016, the overdose antidote was administered 2,334 times in Delaware.

"We'll take less (people) in our race if we have less that are affected by this disease," Don added. Fewer people means fewer deaths.

And through the tearful hugs and long embraces Saturday came belly laughs and smiles. A rally, explained Keister, comes with joy, too.

Those crossing the finish line got high fives and cheers from Don and Jeanne and other volunteers. 

For Christina Richter, who came out in support of both atTAcK Addiction and her friends at the state Department of Health and Social Services, who also participated, the race is a great equalizer – not only in running, but in the fight against addiction.

"The thing about running is we all look the same. We start and finish the race together," she said. "You're moving forward together."

Contact Brittany Horn at 302-324-2771 or bhorn@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter at @brittanyhorn.

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