Turning Grief Into Action: Race Against Drugs Calls for Greater Investment in Recovery
{Photo Credit: James Loomis is one of several people who appear on a billboard as lost to an overdose}
By Mike Loomis
As a society, we have lost sight of the importance of helping one another. Addiction and mental health challenges have taken far too many lives in Davidson County and across North Carolina. Too many families have been left grieving, while the need for accessible treatment, recovery services, and mental health care continues to grow.
North Carolina has lost more than 20,000 people to drug overdoses, and Davidson County has also suffered hundreds of heartbreaking losses. These are not just statistics—they are mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, friends, and neighbors whose lives mattered.
Our family—Lorie Loomis, Michael Loomis, and everyone who makes up RACE AGAINST DRUGS—has experienced this pain firsthand. We believe addiction and mental illness are diseases that deserve compassion, treatment, and support, not shame or neglect.
On June 29, our hearts were broken once again when Joshua "Josh" Purvis and a woman lost their lives in a tragic act of violence. Josh grew up alongside my sons, and Lorie had known him for many years. Whenever he saw her, he called her "Mom." He was someone we considered family, and his loss has deeply affected us.
The individual accused of committing this terrible crime also struggled with addiction and mental health issues. Every person involved had faced challenges that, if properly addressed, might have changed the course of their lives. While we may never know exactly what happened during the early morning hours of June 29, we do know that three families have been forever changed. Two families are mourning loved ones who will never come home, and another family faces the lifelong consequences of a loved one who now faces prison for murder.
Our hearts and prayers are with the family of the woman who lost her life, with Josh's sister, nephew, and entire family, and with everyone whose lives have been forever changed by this tragedy.
This heartbreaking loss reminds us that addiction and mental illness do not only affect the individual—they affect entire families, friends, and communities. If we truly want to save lives, we must invest in prevention, education, treatment, recovery, and mental health services. We must reach out before tragedy strikes and continue supporting those who are struggling.
At RACE AGAINST DRUGS, we remain committed to educating our communities, fighting the fentanyl epidemic, advocating for mental health awareness, and helping those seeking recovery. We cannot change the past, but together we can work to prevent future tragedies and give hope to those who need it most.
