It's so challenging to compose a memorial fitting for my sister, Jenna Shay, but I am so grateful for an opportunity to share a tiny piece of who my sister was, in efforts to honor her memory and  to inspire change.  

Jenna was the youngest of a large blended family, she had beautiful long hair and grey/blue eyes that were filled to the brim with mischief and curiosity, her eyes almost sparkled.  She was bright, able to read by the age of 3 years, and was extremely empathetic; just hearing a sad song or melody could fill her sparkling eyes with tears.  Jenna was kind and darkly funny with a sharp wit and humor that was saturated with dry sarcasm, she was absolutely my favorite person in the entire world.  As Jenna grew older, it became evident that she was extremely intelligent, she taught herself Spanish in merely a month, she could fluently write, read, and speak Spanish with ease.  It seemed that with her high level of intelligence came a sense of unrest, she was a thrill seeker and a comedian.  Jenna was the only person I have ever met that could make me seething angry, and then in a moments notice make me full belly laugh; she was one of a kind, she was precious, she was my baby sister.  

14 years ago to nearly this very day, Jenna unexpectedly died of an accidental heroin overdose at the young age of 23 years.  While I could attempt to explain that Jenna was too young and too incredible to die so senselessly,  it seems more important to emphasize that Jenna was loved, Jenna is missed, and most frustratingly, Jenna's death could have been prevented.  My sister guides my work today, she is the inspiration and motivating force in my efforts to make Lenawee County better, to change the way we talk about and treat our community members that suffer from or are affected by substance use disorder. Through empathy, understanding, and courage, I believe that our community can fight the stigma of substance use disorder and create safe treatment options and safe haven for those that suffer from the devastating effects of addiction.

Submitted by Kellie