| Her name was Jill
Carol Skolek. She was born on February 26, 1973. On May 11, 1995 she gave
birth to her precious son, Brian Patrick Skolek who turned 8 on Mother’s
Day this year. Jill died on April 29, 2002 when Brian returned from school
and found her “sleeping” on her bed. Jill had an infectious
laugh and loved the world of movies. She could name any movie and who starred
in it and the plot. She was also the greatest bargain shopper you could
imagine. Her favorite store was Wal-Mart and we would shop together –
the three of us – on Saturdays. She even convinced me to let her show
me how to grocery shop for bargains. Jill was a full-time mom completely
devoted to Brian. My special thoughts are I have not been able to go to the movies since Jill died. The first time I made myself go shopping without her, I cried throughout the store. There are so many times I think I would love to pick up the phone and call her and say “No mother will hurt the way I hurt Jill –I will do everything in my power for justice in your name and for Brian.” ----- I think she would be proud. My thanks to my son, Michael who has been my supportive sounding board, my grandson, Brian who is truly my greatest gift from Jill, Roger who is my rock and has put up with so much, Linda who helped me on Jill’s wedding day and also those dark days in April and May of 2002 for always being there for me, Barbara who since I was 12 years old has encouraged me and loved me, Rose who raised me to believe in myself, Ann who listened patiently, David who kept me focused, Lynn who was Jill’s dear friend and is now mine, but most of all to a Monarch Butterfly named Chelly who came into my life on October 14, 2002 and believed as I believed, loved her children as I loved mine and has never left my side. Sherri for having angel wings when I needed them most and being such a dear friend to Jill and Brian. “Mommy changed when she started taking OxyContin.” Those words were spoken to me by my then 6-year old grandson, Brian shortly after Jill’s funeral. With those words, a journey began – as I call it a Mom’s crusade to find out why I lost my 29-year-old daughter and why she was prescribed a powerful narcotic called OxyContin for a herniated disk. After painstaking research and reading, I realized that this drug was as I call it pseudo sniper marketed and the result has been devastation throughout the United States. I have never professed to being a pain specialist – I am a specialist in the pain though of losing a child. I am simply a Mom who wants to use this website as a means of communicating to families who have been affected by OxyContin that you are entitled to answers. You can call your Attorney Generals in your respective states and ask questions and are entitled to answers. You can call your Board of Medical Examiners in your state and ask for information regarding the physician who may have prescribed the drug. You need not sit back and accept the death or addiction of a loved one. There are recourses to be taken. A new drug called Palladone is being reviewed by the FDA presently which potentially can have the same devastation potential as OxyContin if it is approved for moderate pain. The FDA is an agency that was set up to protect our families and us. If you would like more information on Palladone, please search the Internet regarding Palladone and then call or write the FDA and express your concerns. Jill did
not deserve to be prescribed OxyContin and she did not deserve to be denied
watching Brian grow up. |