Hundreds gathered on the Boston Common Monday morning to honor those who have died from drug overdoses in Massachusetts, with thousands of flags lined up in remembrance.
On international Overdose Awareness Day, it was fitting that a main speaker was Gov. Maura Healey, who was the Attorney General for the state in the peak of the opioid epidemic and the lawsuits against the pharmaceutical companies that pushed doctors to prescribe narcotics.
Each of the 20,000 small purple flags that neatly lined the field of grass in the Common leading up to the golden dome of the State House represented a person who died from substance use disorder.
The image resonated with many in attendance. At one point, Healey encouraged the crowd to say the names of the victims.
“The names that actually matter are the names of your loved ones. Take a moment to shout out your loved one” Healey told the crowd. “Lets hear their names.”
The crowd, many dressed in purple, started to shout out the names of the people. The names “Randy”, “Carly” and “Bill” could be heard echoing through the crowd.
Healey said that no one is exempt from the pain of substance abuse disorder. Rep. Kate Donaghue of Worcester stepped up to the lectern and shared her story of losing her son at 32 years old. She said he died alone after losing his job, relapsing from addiction and using heroin that was laced with fentanyl.
Donaghue said that while she wasn’t a legislator at the time of her son’s death in 2018, she was still politically connected, but none of that mattered when it came to getting him the help he needed.
“When my son was struggling, I was a ‘one percenter’ when it comes to political access,” said Donaghue. Referring to Healey’s office when she was AG, she said that “even with everyone in her officedoing everything they could, he still passed.”
Donaghue said at the time, she didn’t even know who to call for help. Insurance denied her son’s claim when he tried to get into inpatient rehab, and it felt shameful to talk about. Eight years later, she is using her voice and her platform to try and fund more resources.
“Nobody has a voice like a grieving mother,” she said. “My son had a supportive family, my late husband and I never gave up on him. He was grateful to have such a supportive family.”
She said the attorney general’s office did everything they could to get him the help that he needed.
“With all that support, he still lost his life alone, on the streets of Quincy.”
Now her focus is to make sure the programs that could have helped her son, and others like him get funded and created.
Earlier this year, Massachusetts public health officials said the state had acheived the lowest number of overdose deaths in 10 years, with fewer than 1,000 deaths in 2025. Still, every one of the speakers reiterated that even one overdose death is too many, although they said they feel like the state is heading in the right direction.
They vowed to keep working, educating, and providing resources until the number of overdose deaths is zero.
