A mother has issued a warning about the dangers of fentanyl after her two children died from an overdose.
Skylar Jones-Miller, 14, and her 10-year-old brother Gaige Dehaven died in a bedroom at their family's Maryland apartment on January 16, 2024.
Investigators seized drug paraphernalia, which their mother Kate Jones has described as a 'baggie that was next to Skylar', from the residence.
The deaths were ruled an accidental overdose after an autopsy and toxicology report revealed that both siblings had tested positive for fentanyl.
But more than one year since their deaths, authorities have still not identified the source of the drug.
Kate, who says she remains 'mystified' as to how her children got hold of fentanyl, has now warned other parents: 'It could be your kid any day.'
'Your kid could be just an honour roll student in AP classes. Your son could be just playing on monkey bars or skating or riding his bike with his friends the day before,' she told People Magazine in an interview published Friday. 'You just never know.'
More than 87,000 people in the US died of drug overdoses from October 2023 to September 2024, preliminary CDC data released this year revealed.
Skylar Jones-Miller, 14, (left) and her 10-year-old brother Gaige Dehaven (right) died from a fentanyl overdose in a bedroom at their family's Maryland apartment on January 16, 2024
But more than one year since their deaths, authorities have still not identified the source of the drug. Pictured: The residence where the pair were found dead
Kate, a truck driver who at the time was working 70-hour weeks, says her daughter Allyson found Skylar and Gaige the morning of their death.
Allyson, then 12, went into Skylar's room after the pair hadn't gotten out of bed. She tried to wake them, but they weren't responding so she contacted her mother.
Kate says she asked Allyson if her siblings were breathing, before instructing her to get help from her grandparents, who lived at the property, and rushed back home.
'I get to the house, I run up the steps. I opened the door, and I looked in, and of course, I knew - a 12-year-old little girl's not going to know, but I knew,' she told People of the moment she saw their bodies.
Kate called 911 while her children's grandmother Kathy Wilson-Jones administered CPR. Once the paramedics arrived, they tried to resuscitate the siblings, but nothing could be done and they were pronounced dead at the scene.
The devastated mother claims she knew that her children had died from an overdose, but was still shocked when their autopsy report was released two months later.
'My son was 10 and my daughter was only 14. Nobody expects to hear that your babies have fentanyl in their system,' she recalled.
Kate, who says she remains 'mystified' as to how 'smart' Skylar (pictiured) and 'sweet, caring, All-American' Gaige' got hold of fentanyl, has now warned other parents: 'It could be your kid any day'
Kate has tried to honor Skylar and Gaige (pictured) through charity work, plans to purchase memorial benches and establish a scholarship at the local Perryville High School
Kate says that Skylar was 'so smart' and had dreamt of pursuing music production and interior design. She hailed Gaige as an 'all-American little boy' who was 'caring and sweet'.
Last November - just months after the tragedy - Gaige's biological father James Dehaven, who was also reportedly close with Skylar, died by suicide.
He struggled with depression after the pair's deaths, the grieving mother said.
James, who did not live with the family, had struggled with addiction for several years. But according to Kate, James had been in recovery at the time of the children's deaths. She also alleged that they never saw him in active addiction.
Kate and Kathy believe that the fentanyl that killed Skylar and Gaige may have been in a substance the 14-year-old received from a student at school - though police have not released anything to support this theory.
Investigators are still looking into the pair's death and trying to determine how the drug got into the family's home.
Allyson has reportedly been receiving therapy and is said to be doing better after finding her siblings dead.
Kate has tried to honor Skylar and Gaige through charity work, plans to purchase memorial benches and establish a scholarship at the local Perryville High School.
Kate and Kathy believe that the fentanyl that killed the siblings may have been in a substance that Skylar (pictured) received from a student at school - though police have not released anything to support this theory. Investigators are still looking into the pair's death and trying to determine how the drug got into the family's home
Fentanyl is increasingly landing in the possession of America's teens, as hospitals, physicians, and addiction specialists report a spike in youth opioid-related cases.
At least 708 adolescents died from a drug overdose in 2023, according to CDC data, which revealed that 539 of the cases involved fentanyl. Last year's data has not yet been finalized.
Nearly 104,000 adults died in 2023 due to a drug overdose, including 72,000 deaths involving fentanyl.
**If you or someone you know is in crisis, you can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for 24-hour, confidential support.
**For help with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357.
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