People heal from the loss of a loved one in different ways. When that loss is unexpected due to a drug overdose, mourning can be complicated by conflicting emotions.

"A lot of families take on some of the blame. They feel like there's something they should have done," said Carolee Boyer, an outpatient treatment supervisor at the Carbon, Monroe, Pike Drug and Alcohol Commission Inc. office in Lehighton.One Palmerton couple has chosen to take a step in a positive direction. They are participating in the Our Lives Matter Memorial Quilt project that will be unveiled on Sept. 20 in Harrisburg.The quilt is being organized by the Pennsylvania Recovery Organizations Alliancein Harrisburg. Their purpose is to memorialize those who have lost their battle with addiction."With the help of loved ones, family, friends and survivors, our hope is that the magnitude of this crisis comes to light. Our dream is that recovery support and addiction treatment services will finally receive the recognition and funding that other illnesses have long been afforded," as stated on the PRO-A website.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "In 2014, there were approximately one and a half times more drug overdose deaths in the United States than deaths from motor vehicle crashes."Cynthia and Lonnie Kester lost their son, Lee, to a drug overdose on Sept. 10, 2015, at the age of 34. His ordeal began in 2001 when, as a passenger, he was involved in a car crash. His doctor prescribed an opioid medication for the pain. After years of taking the medication, Lee was addicted. He was also depressed, so an antidepressant was prescribed. In time, his growing addiction led to illegal drugs and arrests, and the cocktail of drugs resulted in his death.Working on the quilt hasn't been easy emotionally."It's very tough putting this together," Lonnie Kester said."So many memories, so many pictures," Cynthia Kester added.On a pale royal blue fabric dotted with white stars, Cynthia Kester ironed on pictures of Lee printed onto white fabric. Blue was his favorite color, she said.The 3-by-6-foot quilt panel is sprinkled with a variety of pictures, "a little bit of everything that represented Lee, good and bad," Cynthia Kester said. There are pictures of him with his grandparents and cousins, camping, fishing, playing his guitar, a sketch of him done at a local fair, and the crash.Her favorite one though is of Lee as a little boy peeking out of a tent.Boyer said the quilt project is good because it "becomes a source of healing to the families.""They are able to share their stories with others who are suffering. That will help break down the stigma and the shame. And also for them, if they are feeling the stigma and shame," she said.For anyone interested in making a quilt panel, there is still time to participate, but not much. The panels are supposed to be sent to PRO-A by Aug. 1, Cynthia Kester said.To participate in the Our Lives Matter Memorial Quilt Project, contact Stephanie Hastings at 717-545-8929 ext. 3 or ourlivesmatterquilt@pro-a.org. Additional information about the organization and instructions for making a quilt panel can be found at

http://pro-a.org.Can't make a quilt panel? There are events being held locally to raise awareness to drug addiction.• Out of Darkness, Into the Light - Overdose Awareness Candlelight Walk will be held from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Saturdayin Tamaqua. Rain or shine. Sponsored by Safer Streets for Tamaqua's Little Feets. Begins at Bungalow Park on Catawissa Street Participants can bring a picture of a loved one who has died due to an overdose. Candles will be provided free of charge.• Blue Mountain Church is holding Palmerton Community Day from 2-6 p.m. Saturday in Palmerton Borough Park. The church offers a Celebrate Recovery program for people recovering from a variety of addictions.• Carbon County Concerned Citizens will meet at 7 p.m. Aug. 16 at the St. Peter's Community Resource Center in Franklin Township to discuss their petition for drug courts to handle only inmates with drug problems. These defendants are kept under supervision and in treatment long enough for the treatment to work. They are still accountable for any crimes they have committed, and must meet their obligations to the court, to society, to their families and to themselves.• The third annual Recovery Walk for Carbon County will be held in the evening on Sept. 14 in Lehighton. This year will include a picnic at the end, Boyer said of the Carbon, Monroe, Pike Drug and Alcohol Commission.