— -- A heartbroken mother whose son died of a heroin overdose is hoping a Valentine's Day letter about him to President Trump will "warm" his heart and urge the federal government to do more about the crisis.
Sue Kruczek, whose son, Nick, died when he was 20 years old, plans to send the letter to the president Saturday, hoping it makes it to his desk by the holiday.
"We’re hoping to touch his heart, warm his heart a little, through our broken hearts," Kruczek, referring to other parents who have lost children to drugs, told WTNH in Connecticut.
Kruczek said her son was a promising hockey player in high school. But after a teammate gave him a pill to help him relax, Nick never played another game sober again, she said.
Nick died five years later of a drug overdose.
Ever since, Kruczek has been deeply involved in the war against opioids. She was crucial in Connecticut’s seven-day cap on opioid prescriptions.
Now, she wants the federal government to step up and allocate more funding.
"We need that funding to help all those out there who are struggling desperately before they become a number like my son," she said.
Kruczek believes a Valentine's Day letter to the president will help her cause. The letter, which includes a picture of Nick, describes how friendly and athletic he was.
"I had a great kid who had great friends," the letter begins. "As a freshman, he was the starting center on his varsity hockey team."
Kruczek doesn't think she's alone. She believes there are scores of other broken-hearted parents who will also send love letters to the president.
"Wouldn't it be great if we could flood the president's desk with all our beautiful children’s faces and pictures and send a message?" she said.
