Blackfoot family donates to D.A.R.E. to honor their daughter

Kelsey Wheeler of Blackfoot died from a heroin overdose one year ago.

She dealt with addiction for years and never fully recovered. Her family donated $1,000 to the D.A.R.E. program on Tuesday as a tribute to their daughter and everyone who struggles with addiction.

“If we can just save one life, one person, to not try it for the first time, that’s what our daughter, Kelsey, would want us to do,” said Carrie Wheeler.

The family’s main goal is drug prevention for high school and middle school students. That’s why they chose the D.A.R.E. program.

“We want to help educate and hopefully save some lives by sharing our story and the things that my daughter went through,” Carrie Wheeler said.

It was shortly after high school when Kelsey Wheeler starting using drugs. She died years later when she was 25 years old. She was embarrassed by her addiction and regretted ever trying drugs.

“She would shy away from those friends who would have been a good influence on her family, her son, who was 4 years old. She didn’t want anyone to see her that way, that loved her,” Carrie Wheeler said.

In 2016, there were 119 opioid-related deaths. However, that number increased over the past several years. Craig Luker, former sheriff’s deputy, is now a D.A.R.E. instructor. He’s on the front lines, battling the opioid epidemic, through high school education and prevention.

“The money is going to teaching the skills to kids, to make better decisions and choices, to do whatever we can to keep them away from those influences in our community, which is way too much,” Luker said.

For parents who may be going through something similar with their children, Carrie Wheeler says to never give up on them. “Love them unconditionally. Don’t enable them, but love them. Be there for them. Because hopefully someday they’ll come home and want help.”

The money is going toward sending two officers to the national D.A.R.E. conference in Phoenix. Officers will learn an updated curriculum on how to combat and prevent opioid addiction.