'Overdose awareness anthem' released by London, Ont. musician
Powerful lyrics written by Sarah Smith that go with an equally powerful song about addiction, overdose deaths and hope in the face of hopelessness.
“I didn’t want to pass in vain, please keep on speaking my name.”
The song, ‘We are Loved’ is an anthem for addiction, synonymous with the struggle felt by so many.
Written and performed by Smith, who hails from London, Ont., the song details the story of Windsor’s Christy Soulliere and her son, Austin, who died in 2022 of fentanyl poisoning at the age of 27.
“We want you hear that song and immediately, you're thinking of overdose awareness, and it's just bringing that attention, very much needed attention,” said Soulliere.
The song and accompanying music video was released Monday, on what would have been Austin’s 29th birthday.
“You never get over losing a child. You learn to go with it and find ways to help you get through it,” said Soulliere.
But it’s the story behind the song that brought together two like-minded people in Soulliere and Smith.
A while back, Smith, who now resides in British Columbia, did a call out on social media, asking fans for stories she could write about.
Soulliere reached out, the two bonded over the issue and then wrote the song together.
“I want to shine a light on Christy's story because it's not just Christy’s story, it’s happening everywhere all over the world,” said Smith. “We're losing our young people and we're losing them fast.”
When putting the music video together, Smith did another call-out for pictures of people who lost family members to the opioid epidemic.
They received more than they could fit into the video.
“It's sad. It's just that shows the reality that we are losing these beautiful people too young,” said Smith.
Soulliere said the song still makes her cry, as she moves through her grief.
“But towards the end, it just gives me hope,” said said.
It comes at a time when the statistics around opioid addiction paint a bleak picture. According to a recent study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, the incidence of opioid deaths in Canada doubled over a three year period between 2019 and 2021.
It’s hoped others will hear the message of hope, love and support in the song and try to break the cycle.
“Maybe bringing some hope and healing to people and maybe stopping other people, maybe before they do their last hit,” said Smith, who is also a recovering addict. She hopes the song also helps remove the stigma around opioid addiction.
“If we can love each other through this and support each other and lean on one another, then we can all get through it,” said Smith. “Because we are all loved, like the song says.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump confronts repeated boos during raucous Libertarian convention speech
Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing Saturday night’s Libertarian Party National Convention.
No sign Canada has a plan to reach NATO defence spending target: U.S. NATO ambassador
The U.S. ambassador to NATO says she has seen no indication that Canada has a plan to reach the NATO spending target of two per cent of GDP on defence.
This type of screen time has the worst effect on kids: experts
According to some experts, there is one type of screen time that is continuously excessive, and it's having a severe effect on our children.
Family of toddler found dead at small-town Ont. daycare no closer to answers after year of investigation
A year has passed since two-year-old Vienna Irwin was found on the property of a home-based daycare in small-town Ontario, but her family says they are no closer to answers of what happened that day.
Fire at a baby care centre kills 7 infants in India's capital, a fire officer says
A fire broke out in a baby care center in India's capital Saturday night, killing seven infants, a fire service officer said.
More seniors are using homeless shelters. Here's why, according to experts
One of the country’s homeless shelters has seen an uptick in the number of people through its doors, including more older adults over 50.
Grayson Murray, two-time PGA Tour winner, dead at 30
Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial.
Man or machine? Toronto company finds a way to determine how real audio clips are
The Toronto-based research arm of life sciences technology firm Klick Health has found a way to analyze voices in a manner that’s so granular, it can tell whether it's a person or an artificial intelligence-powered machine.
Humboldt Broncos crash victims and families react to decision to deport truck driver
The family of one of the victims of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018 says they are 'thankful' for a decision by a Calgary immigration board to deport the driver of the truck involved.