Mark Crutchfield said his son Brandon was a typical teenager with a quick wit, a love for sports and acting and a knack for making others laugh — until he lost his life to a fentanyl overdose Nov. 4, 2022 at 20 years old.
Crutchfield, a Fairfax County resident and licensed counselor working in addiction treatment, said his son was raised on a strong anti-drug message, and he believed his son understood the risks of drug use. But, as the grieving father says, drugs do not discriminate.
Crutchfield’s story, like those of too many parents, is now part of a larger movement. As a member of Angel Army and Fentanyl Fathers, he joins other parents who have lost children in the opioid crisis. The groups aim to transform pain into preventative action by visiting schools, libraries and community centers to share their stories firsthand.
Angel Army was formed through a partnership between Victoria’s Voice Foundation, established by Jackie Siegel and her late husband, David Siegel, after losing their 18-year-old daughter, Victoria, to an accidental drug overdose, and Fentanyl Fathers, a nonprofit founded by parents who have lost children to fentanyl poisoning. Along with grief support nonprofit Eric’s House, the organizations created Angel Army.
Crutchfield said the fentanyl crisis impacts people of all backgrounds, income status and demographics.
“It doesn’t matter what your background is or where you came from. It can happen to anybody,” Crutchfield told InsideNoVa, adding that in his experience today’s drugs are more potent, more addictive and, tragically, more deadly.
He stressed that prevention begins at home, particularly through honest and consistent communication between parents and children. Crutchfield encourages parents to maintain ongoing dialogue with their children about feelings and mental well-being, not just academic performance.
“You can have a straight-A kid and miss the signs,” he said.
Crutchfield said the work he does with Angel Army and Fentanyl Fathers is rooted in both personal grief and a desire to protect other families from similar loss.
The groups’ mission is deeply personal yet universally urgent. They want to ensure their stories lead to action so fewer families experience such devastating loss.
“I’ve met so many people since my son passed away … they come from all walks of life, at all levels of our society,” Crutchfield said. “I think sometimes people think they can outrun the drug, that they’re smarter than the drug, but when it comes to something like fentanyl, you just try it once and you die.”
He also spoke about the lasting emotional impact of losing a child and the unanswered questions many parents carry.
“When you lose someone to drugs, it creates a hole in your heart that nothing can fill. It’s the frustration, it’s the hurt,” Crutchfield said. “‘If I had known, could I have done this?’ or ‘Should I’ve done something different?’ Working in Angel Army allows you to have an opportunity to help other people.”
Crutchfield said channeling grief into advocacy gives meaning to a loss that cannot be undone.
“We’re trying not to waste our pain and take our pain and make it make a difference for other people,” he said. “Our loved ones are gone, they’re not coming back. But our goal is to try to make sure that our story doesn’t become somebody else’s story.”
Crutchfield and other parents will share their stories Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. at Rust Library in Leesburg. Crutchfield encourages people of all ages and backgrounds to attend.
As overdose deaths continue to affect communities across Northern Virginia and the nation, Crutchfield hopes sharing his son’s story will prompt conversations that happen sooner rather than later – conversations he believes can save lives.
This article was written by FFXnow’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.
