CHESAPEAKE, Va. — A Chesapeake mother who lost both of her sons — one to fentanyl poisoning, one to mental health struggles — is fighting to make sure no other family goes through the same pain.
Sharon Roberts organized her second annual Fentanyl and Mental Health Awareness Event at Mount Pleasant Farms, bringing together parents from across the country who have lost children to fentanyl poisoning.
Roberts lost her son Shawn in September 2018 after he took a counterfeit Xanax pill laced with fentanyl and heroin. Four years later, she lost her oldest son Rob in July 2022.
"So, I lost my son Shawn to fake Xanax. It was laced with fentanyl and heroin. And the mental health part comes in because I also lost my oldest son four years later. My goal here is to spread awareness in the city of Chesapeake, Virginia, and I've been honored to have all these other groups come: Lost Voices of Fentanyl, Enough is Enough," Roberts said.
The event was held on what would have been Shawn's 47th birthday. Roberts said the timing is intentional — falling close to National Fentanyl Awareness Day on April 29.
"Today is my son's birthday actually. Shawn would have been 47 years old today," Roberts said.
Nearly 1,300 crosses were set up at the event, each bearing a photo, year, and age of a fentanyl poisoning victim. The group Enough is Enough traveled from Missouri to help set them up. Behind the crosses, the organization Lost Voices of Fentanyl displayed 60 banners featuring victims ranging in age from infants to people in their 50s.
Roberts said she has been attending and organizing awareness events for 6 years, including marches to the White House and the U.S. Capitol.
"I don't want this to happen to anybody else. I don't want another parent, another person to go through what we've been going through, but our children that are lost brought us all together, and we're angel warrior mamas, and we're fighting and mama's going to fight whether they're dead or alive. Our mamas are going to fight and we're going to fight for your babies as well," Roberts said.
Groups including Chesapeake Care, Virginia Beach Psychiatric, and Dylan's Warriors also participated in the event. Mount Pleasant Farms and Brookdale Farms provided the space.
Roberts said the main message she wants people to take away is that fentanyl poisoning can affect anyone.
"Never in a million years did I think it would happen to me, but it does. And so that's what we're trying to do. We're trying to save everyone else's family from going through this, and it's poisoning," Roberts said.
For fentanyl poisoning resources and addiction help, contact Austin's Angels or Parents United Against Fentanyl. Roberts can also be reached directly at 757-681-5093 to offer additional resources.
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