A son�s addiction, a mother�s sorrow

By Anne DiBernardo - Florida Catholic

Second of two parts. See related stories:

• Prayer, politics and opioids
• Battling opioids in South Florida
• From addiction to sobriety, via faith and grace
• St. Luke's Center: Gateway to a changed life

HOLLYWOOD | Renee Doyle, a Nativity parishioner and member of the Charismatic Renewal, lost her third son, Blayne Lewis, to what she describes as a drug-related accident in 2009.

After his death, Doyle found peace and strength by uniting her sufferings with Mary, the Mother of Sorrows. Like Mary, Doyle surrendered her son to the Lord and is not bitter.

“The Blessed Mother was a role model for me and helped me get through this. You lose a part of your heart when you lose a child. The Lord spoke to my heart and said, ‘Just think of what my mother went through.’ I thought, how can I be so selfish and said, ‘Mary, I know you can give me the strength to get through this, you know exactly what I am going through.’”

Blayne’s problems began when he injured his knee and developed an addiction to opioids to manage his pain. At the time, pill mills were popping up throughout Broward County. Her second son, Cory Lewis, who also was suffering with addiction to various substances, started selling pills he obtained from the mills.

“Blayne had smoked pot before getting involved with opioids and witnessed his brother making a lot of money from selling pills and so he fell into a terrible cycle,” said Doyle, a nurse. She noted that during this time, anyone could walk into a pill mill with an old MRI and the doctor would write prescriptions for the people who lined up around the building.

Like many of those suffering from opioid use disorder, Cory and Blayne were good students, from a loving home, and involved in sports. Giving Blayne money, paying his bills, and getting him a job were among the things Doyle and her husband did to help her son until they realized this was enabling his behavior. They drew the line and resorted to tough love.

“It had snowballed into a mess and I could not help him anymore,” Doyle said. “We learned later that he had to do this on his own. As a parent it’s a hard decision to have to make.”

Blayne’s life ended when he was hit by a car Dec. 5, 2009. Although his death was not due to an overdose per se, Doyle believes he was on drugs at the time of the accident and likely wandered into traffic. Epidemiologist Jim Hall said deaths like his — not directly caused by drugs but probably related — are also a large part of the epidemic.

Two months after his brother died, Cory checked himself into a detox program at the Broward Addiction Recovery Center. He has been clean and sober now for six years.

“After Blayne died it was divine intervention that led Cory to take himself to detox,” said Doyle, who also looks upon Blayne’s death as a divine intervention. “In my heart I feel the Lord scooped Blayne up,” she said. “He was so tired. I prayed so hard for him...”

“Mary gives me my strength,” added Doyle, who started the Mother’s Prayer Group at Nativity two months before her son’s death. “I think everybody has to experience sorrow. Through sorrow you experience joy and good things happen, but we don’t understand it when we are going through it. But miracles and blessing come from sorrow and I think you have to go through sorrow to understand.”

Anyone who wants to pray for their children or grandchildren can join the Mother’s Prayer Group at Nativity Church, 5200 Johnson St., Hollywood. They meet every Thursday at 7:30 p.m.