Student turns pain into purpose with effort to stop fentanyl overdoses
By Monique John
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DUNWOODY, Georgia (WUPA) — Dunwoody High School was changed forever when a student died of a fentanyl overdose in 2024. That student was Mady Cohen’s classmate, and her death stirred something in Cohen.
“A lot of my friends and the whole community was grieving really hard because it was a tragedy that nobody expected. And I knew that I wanted to do something about it.” Cohen, now a senior, said.
That night, Cohen sprang into action. She educated herself about fentanyl and Narcan, a medication that can block and reverse the effects of some opioids.
She wrote a proposal for the school’s administration to place Narcan in every classroom and major common area on campus. Cohen raised over $12,000 to make it happen and rescued another student in the process.
“We had a second student that also was was overdosing, and we had Narcan,” Principal Tom Bass said. “Immediately, we got in there, and it was truly amazing that with two doses of Narcan, that student within minutes was up and was back … so Narcan and Maddy and her initiative truly did save a life here at Dunwoody High School.”
“That really kept me going,” Cohen said. She says the incident happened at a low point in her project, and that she was inspired to keep going. “I really needed something, and I think God really just showed me a sign that, you know, you did make an impact. Like you saved someone’s life.”
Cohen’s work resulted in 120 Narcan kits being placed all throughout Dunwoody High, regular training for teachers in how to spot overdoses and use Narcan, as well as the formation of a club for students, educating them about the subject.
“Mady really inspired us,” said Eleanor Remigailo, a parent at the school. “[T]he fact that our community came around her just made us know that we’ve got this great community that wants to help our families and help our school.”
Cohen’s impact motivated a Remigailo and several other parents to start Dunwoody Strong. The volunteer organization hosts programs guiding students to make better choices, while informing parents on modern issues affecting young people, like vaping, distracted driving, and preparing for college.
“There’s just so many different topics that I think people, parents, just don’t know how to approach those topics with their children,” said Dunwoody Strong parent Amy Halligan. “And sometimes we’re not even aware that that is becoming an epidemic, an issue. And so we want to bring those things to light.”
The group also raised money to put these storage boxes for students’ phones across campus. It’s a feature that teachers say is helping students perform better in class.
Cohen says the positive change she has put into her school has changed her for the better as well.
“I used to be, like, super awkward,” Cohen said. “I used to struggle a lot mentally, and it got me to open up.”
Cohen says she’s humbled to see her Narcan project have such a ripple effect in her community. She says she hopes the project expands to other high schools across the state and nationwide.
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