In Loving Memory

On May 21, 2019 my best friend of 12 years died of an accidental overdose at 30 years old.

Val was beautiful, intelligent, selfless, outgoing, incredibly successful and the most loyal person I’ve ever met. She climbed the corporate ladder at one of the largest financial institutions in the country while simultaneously finishing her MBA. But she dealt with clinical anxiety, was struggling, and ultimately ended up slipping in the worst kind of way that cost her everything.

I often wonder if she had access to legalized medical cannabis instead of being pumped full of SSRIs and using substances to cope, if she would still be standing next to me when I get married one day, we’d raise our children together as moms, and travel the world in our old age.

The opioid epidemic is very real and doesn’t discriminate against race, gender, religion, or socioeconomic background. I never thought in a million years it would directly impact me this way or that it would become my new “why" after launching Love Always, Liz CBD.

I have struggled to tell her story on my own journey of grief because she was so much more than the way she left this world and I constantly question if she would want me to use my influence and voice to honor her memory. At the end of the day, I have decided that keeping quiet is not an option, but being vocal and vulnerable about another stigmatized issue in this country, mental healthcare, needs to be brought to the forefront of discussion.

For every purchase made, Love Always, Liz CBD makes a donation in Val's memory to non-profit organizations dedicated to mental healthcare and addiction recovery.

 

February 1, 1989 - May 21, 2019