Swartz Creek Mom Offers Hope to Parents After Losing Her Son to Addiction [VIDEOS]

If you've been to a haunted house in the Flint area, you've probably seen the makeup artistry of Lisa Lewis or maybe even seen Lisa herself in costume. What you won't see is the pain she carries with her everywhere she goes after losing her son to addiction last year.

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Lisa shared the story of her son Brandon's death Monday at an Overdose Awareness Day event held by Genesee County's United Community Addiction Network (UCAN) in Burton.

Brandon Vaughan led a typical life, growing up in Swartz Creek, going to school, and becoming a star hockey player for the Dragons. Lewis explains that like many parents, she suspected Brandon was occasionally smoking marijuana and drinking, but chalked it up to typical teenage behavior.

She didn't believe the rumors that Brandon was using heroin.

"I was in complete denial, I kept hearing stories that he's doing heroin," she says in the first video below. "I was like, not my Brandon, he's terrified of needles, never in a million years."

Lewis' address at the UCAN event is broken up into two videos below. In the first video, she shares the details of April 16, 2020, when Swartz Creek Police officers knocked on her door and told her that her son had died. After a five-year battle with addiction and countless overdoses, Lewis knew what the officers were going to tell her before they spoke.

In the second video, Lisa shares more details of Brandon's battle with addiction and the struggle her family endured. She then makes a plea for parents to know the warning signs of addiction and seek help when it's needed. She also encourages everyone to carry Narcan, a nasal spray that can be used to revive someone who's overdosed.

"Please, please, please, get that Narcan training," she says. "If you don't have a loved one that's addicted, there may be that person that you're in a restaurant with that may overdose."

In an interview with Cars 108, Lewis says there's always hope and encourages parents to never stop fighting.

"Addiction doesn't discriminate. It knows no boundaries. I want to encourage people to carry Narcan because you can save a life," Lewis said. "Never give up hope on your loved one. They can recover. I don't want anyone to live with this pain I feel every day."

For help with addiction, as well as treatment and recovery resources in Genesee County, contact the United Community Action Network (UCAN) here, and for emergency assistance with addiction reach out to Aaron Rubio at 810.397.7175.