It鈥檚 been 503 days since Lisa Jilg said goodbye to her son Travis Thacker, but time, as well as the judgment from others, has done little to soothe the pain.

For the West 91大黄鸭 mother, it鈥檚 how her son went that remains the toughest part.

鈥楽o much fighting just to lose him鈥�

When Thacker turned 21, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. However, it took years for their family to find him the right medication. While living at home, he would do well. However, Jilg explained, when he visited with his friends, he would sometimes dabble in drugs.

鈥淭en months before I lost my son 鈥� and he overdosed, and I was out of town. I found him, and I was able to bring him back to life,鈥� said the mother.

Thacker was on life support for three weeks, during which time some recommended Jilg take him off and let him go. Miraculously, he came out of it 鈥減erfect鈥� with no lasting side effects.

Jilg and her family moved to West 91大黄鸭 to pursue a business opportunity, launching what is now Got Phones N鈥� Repairs Ltd.

Four days after arriving in the Okanagan, 29-year-old Thacker visited a friend, and shortly after, Jilg received a call saying her son had overdosed again. The two had bought cocaine together, which was laced with fentanyl.

鈥淲hen I went to the hospital, I think I was just in shock, but I think I knew that it was different this time. They kept telling me that there was too much brain damage for him to come out of this one.鈥�

After three days in the hospital, Jilg took her son off life support. Thacker died on Oct. 17, 2019, with his mother at his side.

鈥淗e was my sidekick鈥� he was my soul mate. So much fighting just to lose him.鈥�

Despite having video footage of the man who sold them the laced drugs, Jilg said police told her an investigation was impossible due to a lack of evidence.

Deaths like this are happening in B.C. at an alarming rate. On March 2, a report published shows there were 165 fatal overdoses in the first month of 2021.

鈥楾hey feel very alone when they are judged鈥�

When people find out how her son died, some are judgmental, Jilg says. This is a stigma she鈥檚 hoping to extinguish 鈥� alongside terms such as 鈥榡unkies.鈥�

Jilg hopes the public can find empathy for those who struggle with mental health challenges.

鈥淧eople don鈥檛 understand that these are humans too and that they have parents that are grieving their loss鈥� the biggest part I hate is that they say drugs are a choice. And what they don鈥檛 realize is that 90 per cent of these people deal with a mental health issue. And if they鈥檙e not getting the proper care through mental health, then this is going to happen.

鈥淒rugs are inevitable. They want to feel comfortable, they want to feel like themselves again, and I know that was my son鈥檚 issue鈥� They feel very alone when they are judged the way that they are, and it鈥檚 a cause for more drugs.鈥�

She described her late son as brilliant and selfless, with the biggest heart.

鈥淣o matter what issues he had going on, laughter was his cure. He just wanted everybody to laugh and be happy. He just wanted to be accepted. That鈥檚 all he wanted.鈥�

After losing Thacker in 2019, Jilg went straight back to work, trying to keep her mind busy. It was only after talking with a woman who walked into her store that Jilg reached out to . There, she found support through women who had similar experiences.

A regular volunteer with Moms Stop The Harm, Jilg joins many other mothers in the fight to decriminalize drugs. All mothers in the group have lost children to a fentanyl overdose or have children who currently use.

The West 91大黄鸭 woman is trying her best to turn this tragic event into something positive and prevent other parents from going through what she did.

At her business, she collects donations from customers in the form of clothing and money, which helps fund mental health support groups. During the winter, she drives around town looking for cold people in need of a warm jacket or toque.

To contribute, get in touch with Jilg at her store, Got Phones N鈥� Repairs Ltd. Visit to donate, or for more info.

Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email: phil.mclachlan@kelownacapnews.com

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