Wisconsin parents Erin and Rick Rachwal, who founded the Love, Logan Foundation after their son died of a fentanyl overdose, share their story in Oshkosh, Aug. 21, 2024. PC: Fox 11 Online
OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — One pill can kill. That’s the message a Wisconsin couple whose son died by fentanyl is working to spread.
Three years ago, Erin and Rick Rachwal of Pewaukee lost their son, 19-year-old Logan, to a fentanyl overdose. He was a freshman at UW-Milwaukee at the time.
After his death, the Rachwals co-founded the Love, Logan Foundation, hoping to spark important conversations about drug overdoses and in the process, save lives.
On Wednesday, recognized as National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day, the Rachwals visited the Boys and Girls Club of Oshkosh to share their story and educate youth about the dangers of drugs.
“On Valentine’s Day of 2021, [Logan] ended up taking a pill which he thought was real, and it was actually a fake Oxycodone-looking pill. It contained three forms of fentanyl, and he died,” Erin said. “We are here because we needed to do something about it and start spreading awareness.”
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is nearly 50 times more powerful than heroine and morphine. Last year, over 74,000 Americans died from a fentanyl overdose.
Officials say an average of 22 teenagers die from drug overdoses in the U.S. every week — a number that is continuing to increase due to counterfeit prescription pills laced with fentanyl, like the pill that killed Logan Rachwal.
“We are trying to get the word out to kids, especially younger kids, as much as possible, that nothing is safe,” Erin said. “There’s so many things right now that are out in our communities being laced with fentanyl and other drugs. Pills are so normalized in our world that kids don’t think they’re scary looking, and we just are trying to prevent any further deaths.”
Everyone has to know that this is going on and this is an epidemic in our country.
Rick said he and his wife will also be speaking to middle and high schools in Oshkosh as part of their campaign.
“Our message is, obviously we don’t want the young people — or anybody — taking substances unless it’s a prescription from their doctor or pharmacist. Everything that they can get on a phone, on a computer, out on the streets, is probably laced with fentanyl, and it only takes two milligrams of fentanyl to be a lethal dose. For comparison, two milligrams just barely fits on the tip of a pencil,” Rick said.
Along with raising awareness about the dangers of fentanyl and other illicit drugs, the Rachwals also hope to spur more community support and education for individuals struggling with drug usage, and end the stigma associated with mental health and substance use disorders.
“It’s so critical for parents, school administrators, schools, families, communities, to understand this is not going to discriminate. This can happen to anyone,” Erin said.
We would’ve been those parents that would have said, ‘Not our kids. We raised them well, we raised them with morals.’ We went to church, and we did camping trips and vacations. We did so much with our kids. They played baseball, we coached baseball. So this can happen to anyone.
Erin added, “We are in a different age than we were 20, 30 years ago. This is not someone who necessarily needs to be addicted to a drug, or be a ‘bad kid.’ Kids make mistakes. Logan made one mistake and he is now gone. He can’t learn from that mistake. With fentanyl, you don’t have a second chance.”
The Rachwals’ presentation was held in partnership with the Women’s Fund of the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation.
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