SUN CITY CENTER, Fla. — A New Port Richey mother is dedicated to putting up billboards across the Tampa Bay-area to bring awareness to fentanyl.
Tammy Plakstis lost her son, Dylan, in 2020. She said he died from fentanyl poisoning in New York.
WATCH: Pasco County mother uses billboards to bring awareness to son's death from fentanyl poisoning
She works with other moms who live with a similar pain.
"We’re like family, you know, like we have a bond. Unfortunately, it’s because of a bad situation, but we’re trying to make good out of something bad," said Plakstis.
Plakstis has spoken with Tampa Bay 28 on several occasions as she puts up billboards across Tampa Bay. The billboards are designed to raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl. The latest billboard is currently active in Sun City Center, located on Sun City Center Boulevard.
She joined another mother, Sharon Roberts, who also lost a child.
Roberts lives in Virginia, but has family in the Tampa Bay area. She lost her son in 2018.
Her son, Shawn, died nearly seven years ago on Sept. 17. She said he took a Xanax, but it was laced with fentanyl. Her son, Shawn, died in 2018.
"We just try to spread the word to help with our grief to educate everybody else on fentanyl, what to teach children, what not to teach children," she said.
The ladies also educate people on Naloxone and Narcan, a life-saving medication that reverses an opioid overdose.
"That’s the way I get through my grief. I’m not going to lay home and sit and cry and say why me. I found Jesus all over again, he's getting me through it all," said Roberts.
The two mothers hope their efforts spare other families from the pain of losing a loved one.
"We just want to stop the stigma of people thinking this just happens to addicts. It can happen to anyone and we want to make the point clear. It doesn’t discriminate," said Plakstis.
The billboard will remain active in Sun City Center for the next two weeks.
Share Your Story with Julie
From the courtroom to your commute, Julie Salomone works to share the issues that matter to you. She also focuses on the day-to-day issues in Sarasota County, so be sure to reach out to Julie to start a conversation.
.
Sarasota church paints crosswalk on private property
The Harvest Sarasota Church painted a pride-themed crosswalk after FDOT removed over 50 murals across the state. The goal, Robyn Minor says, was to do something peaceful but bring the community together.
