“Ten days before she died, she admitted to her mom and dad that she was addicted.” Prior to that, Daniel was arrested for dealing drugs and put in jail. “Her drug-dealing boyfriend was in jail, she was broke and in a couple hours, she would be ‘dope sick,’ which is 10 times worse than the flu, and she was afraid of that.”

Why did she start using heroin? “She thought it would be fun. Now she was not taking the drug because it was fun, but because she didn’t want to be sick.”

The young lady spent three days in the hospital, came home and then went back for two days before returning home. “A couple days later, the phone rang, and it was Daniel. I made Amanda hang up the phone, and she was very angry with me. Then we gave Manda two choices: You can continue to live here at home without Daniel, and we’ll do everything we can to get your life back on track or you can go with Daniel.

She chose Daniel, who was living in his Mustang.”

Spitler recalled that later she came home, and “my greatest comfort was every day she was home, there were no drugs, no Daniel - that was wrong. March 30 rolled around, and Manda was up early, about 5:30 a.m., as was I because I like to go out and run.” His wife was out of town on vacation with a friend. “I told her, ‘I’ll make your favorite breakfast when I get back.’”

However, when he returned, he found a note from his daughter saying she would be back later. “She came home at 6 p.m. I fixed her dinner,” and later she took a bath. Manda had the radio on loud,” and after a while, he pounded on the bathroom door, but received no response. Spitler went in and found his daughter lying in the bathtub. Retrieved from http://www.bannergraphic.com/story/1456839.html

There was no phone nearby to call 911. He half-dragged Manda to the family room so he could continue CPR while calling for help.

Manda had been on artificial life support for five-and-a-half hours when her mother next saw her. Shortly after that the family was called to say their good-byes, and Manda was gone.

Spitler explained how he had talked with Manda before her death and realized how young people don’t realize they can become addicted the first time they inject heroin.

“The addicts need the drug just to feel normal, just to avoid being violently ill,” he explained.

He said the danger is that young people in a peer group might be pressured to try heroin, only to become addicted right away.

He encouraged students to think the next time they face a moment of truth when they can choose the right or wrong path.

“What I want for all of you is a life with purpose and meaning to it,” Spitler told the students. “Manda lost herself very early. I’m hopeful that none of you will lose yourselves.”

One of the questions asked by students following the presentation was “where is Daniel now?”

“Daniel is not in jail,” said Spitler.

He was released after selling out two other dealers.

“Those people wanted him badly,” Spitler said. “He moved to Chicago and still didn’t feel safe. He moved to Kokomo with his grandmother until she found he had stolen $3,000-$4,000 from her. Last I heard he was working construction somewhere in Florida.”

Spitler is a retired podiatrist and now serves as president of the Community Action Drug Coalition of Porter County. He tells his family’s story to schools all over hoping to inspire parents to protect their children from this killer drug -- and to protect the young from themselves. Retrieved from http://www.bannergraphic.com/story/1456839.html

Making the Responsible Choice

Spitler read a letter he had received from an eighth-grade student: “The girl heard me tell Manda’s story and said, ‘It opened my eyes. I became really close to this guy, and we went to get some pot, but I made up an excuse so I wouldn’t have to use it. Later, he asked me to come over again and said he had something special for me.

It was a needle, and I found out he wanted me to use heroin. I hesitated for a second and made up another excuse. Then he said, ‘If you love me and want to be my girlfriend, you’ll do it.’ I looked at him and told him I was in seventh grade and didn’t love anybody and walked out.

The next few days, we didn’t talk, and then he dumped me. Then he wanted me back. I actually thought about calling him and telling him I wanted to do it, but after I heard your talk, I didn’t.’”

Spitler pointed out, “This girl not only has a brain, she’s got guts. If Manda had been like this girl, I wouldn’t be having this talk today.” Retrieved from http://www.batesvilleheraldtribune.com/news/local_news/heroin-death-she-thought-it-would-be-fun/article_26ca9e08-158e-5cb2-b1cc-560d7fea10f5.html