After one of her classmates died of a drug overdose in May, Dunwoody High School junior Mady Cohen decided it was time to do something other than mourn.
On May 6, 15-year-old Mia Dieguez died after allegedly ingesting a Fentanyl-laced Percocet that was given to her by another student. She had allegedly taken the drug during class and was found unresponsive by her teacher and classmates when the period ended.
A minor, reportedly a classmate, was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct.
Mady said she took action over the summer after “seeing not only my friends, but an entire community suffer.” She started a fund drive called Mady’s Narcan Project to make opioid-reversing Narcan available in every public area and classroom at the school. She not only made her $5,000 goal, but she doubled it within days of starting the initiative.
Credit: Rough Draft Atlanta
Credit: Rough Draft Atlanta
Mady said she realized that preventing opioid deaths has to be extended beyond providing lifesaving measures.
“I have learned that the recovery resource is a piece I needed to add to my project,” she said.
That led to an after-school speaker’s panel in October that educated students and parents on opioid overdose prevention, as well as drug recovery.
Mady has also spoken at staff meetings, superintendent meetings, recovery luncheons, churches, and curriculum nights, and she has received several awards for her lifesaving fundraising efforts.
She was given the 2024 Georgia Recovery Champion Award from the Georgia Council for Recovery at the organization’s luncheon. She also was honored with a Feeney Legacy Project Hero Award from The Feeney Legacy Project, which educates teens and adults about the importance of calling 911 immediately when someone has a medical emergency.
Mady said it was a satisfying moment when the first Narcan kits were distributed at Dunwoody.
“It felt so great going to classrooms and handing them [supplies of Narcan] out directly to teachers,” she said.
Her job, Mady said, is not done. The next step in her mission is to offer her expertise and resources so others can implement the elements of Mady’s Narcan Project at their schools.
“This isn’t just a Dunwoody High School problem, it’s a worldwide epidemic,” she said.
HOW TO HELP
To donate, search on Venmo for @dunwoodyPTSO with the memo “Mady’s Narcan Project.”
To learn more, visit the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse at gc4recovery.org and The Feeney Legacy Project at feeneylegacyproject.org.
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