‘That one pill ended his life’: Monday panel educates parents, kids on dangers of fentanyl

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Cedar Park mother whose son died from a pill laced with fentanyl organized an event Monday night to answer other parents’ questions about the deadly drug.

Becky Stewart started “A Change for Cam,” named after her son, after he died in March 2021. The goal is to educate families and students about the dangers of fake pills, including a panel Monday from 6-7:30 p.m. The event was at Hill Country Bible Church at 12124 Ranch Road 620 North and was also streamed online. You can watch the panel here. ‘Paid $10 for his death.’ A Cedar Park family’s warning about fentanyl

“He made really a poor choice and bought a pill off of Snapchat, and that one pill ended his life. He took that one pill and never woke up,” Stewart said.

Her son’s death prompted her to focus on educating communities, including her own, about the deadly drug.

“We asked in the education today how many had heard of fentanyl before, a lot raised their hands, but a lot didn’t, and it’s scary how many have never heard of it,” said Stewart.

KXAN Investigator Arezow Doost first profiled their family in a KXAN investigation last year about how deaths caused by fentanyl were higher than ever in Central Texas. She moderated the panel, which also included State Rep. Ann Johnson, representatives from the Drug Enforcement Administration and local law enforcement, plus mental health experts and affected family members.