Jake Langille died on an air mattress at the age of 27 in his mother鈥檚 91大黄鸭 apartment on Jan. 22, 2017.
Groggy and lethargic from a night鈥檚 rest of sleeping pills, Jake鈥檚 mother ambled to her computer chair鈥攁s she always does鈥攏ot wanting to wake her son. After a few years of precarious living, the mother wanted Jake to feel rested and at home in her apartment.
It took much longer than anybody would want to willingly sit in a room, scanning Facebook, waiting for their dead son to awaken.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 hear breathing, no snoring; he couldn鈥檛 move,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hen I looked and he was blue. And that was that. That was the last time I ever saw him.鈥�
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Jake moved to 91大黄鸭 after struggling to find his way in northern Ontario, where the mother and son are native to. His mother moved to 91大黄鸭 in 2014 and he visited for four months in 2015 to see if the area could help him move past his struggles.
His mom sent him back to Ontario for rehab and counselling. He wanted to get his life back on track. When he was ready, he came back to 91大黄鸭 to get a job, find stable housing and move forward. His mother even made him turn himself into police for a prior drug offence.
鈥淗e was doing all the right things,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e was really a nice kid, he just had his struggles.鈥�
She doesn鈥檛 know how he got the money to buy drugs nor does she know where he consumed them and she doesn鈥檛 know where he got them from, but Jake鈥檚 blood stream was ridden with various types of drugs that caused an overdose, according to what officials told her.
Jake, according to his mother, was an amazing kid. He was a musician, smart, funny, caring and gentle. She emphasized that the only downfall was that he had his struggles, as many do.
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Gretchen Delguidice was a supporter in Wawa, Ont., and helped guide Jake in the months before he moved to 91大黄鸭 to rejoin his mother. She was so inspired by his commitment to healing and helping his friends, that when he passed, she wanted to honour him.
鈥淛ake was just the most lovable person,鈥� said Delguidice. 鈥淚 lost that kid and it was a tough one for me.鈥�
In 2019, presented by Jacquie Langille (Jake鈥檚 grandmother) and Delguidice, the Make a Difference Award was priviledged to two Grade 8 students鈥攐ne boy and one girl鈥攚ho exemplify kindness and empathy to their peers and their community.
鈥淭hey make a difference by being just a little different (in a good way),鈥� the document reads.
鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty cool, I鈥檓 honoured and he would鈥檝e loved it, too,鈥� the mother said. 鈥淓specially because it鈥檚 for the underdogs.鈥�
The award will be made annual and Delguidice is attempting to create two more awards for Grade 12 graduating students.
The Facebook post by Jake鈥檚 mother garnered replies that read, 鈥淲ow鈥� I love this award!鈥�, 鈥淏eautiful鈥攂rings tears to my eyes鈥�, 鈥淚 so love this鈥� what an amazing legacy鈥� and so needed. Beautiful鈥� and 鈥淚鈥檓 at a loss for words, but this truly touched my spirit.鈥�
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Through Jake鈥檚 story, his mother wishes for people to understand the opioid crisis, drug addiction and homelessness, although they often correlate, they don鈥檛 always bind a person to one stereotype. Jake did not die on the streets. He died on his mother鈥檚 air mattress one dreary, often re-lived morning.
鈥淭hey are trying to do the best they can,鈥� his mother empathized with others who struggle in secret.
鈥淭hey are empaths, the free spirits, the grey in a world of black and white,鈥� the document concluded. 鈥淭hese students challenge us to look at life and people differently.鈥�
David.venn@kelownacapnews.com
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