Heroin's human toll: Akron mom began opiate addiction following post-pregnancy surgery

Akron mom began opiate addiction following post-pregnancy surgery

AKRON, Ohio -- Jessica Canada Holmes started taking painkillers after she had surgery to remove a cyst that developed on her lower back while she was pregnant with her son Carter.

Her family says it was the first time the Kenmore High School graduate took an opiod.

Two years later, her sister Savannah Holmes found the 20 year old dead in her bedroom from snorting fentanyl that she thought was heroin.

"From that point, my life turned upside down," her sister, Savannah Holmes said. "I had a job, and I left my job. At that point I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. Her leaving her son here with us. Watching the way it affected my mom. It's like a part of me died that day. I'm just not the same person from that day."

Canada Holmes' death on March 22, 2015 was one of 160 people who died from a fatal heroin or fentanyl overdose in Summit County in 2015.

She lettered in academics at Kenmore, similar to being on the honor roll. She was a sounding board for cousins and her sister whenever they had problems they wanted to talk about but didn't know where to turn.

"She was one of my very best friends," her mother Angela Holmes said. "She was very funny and very carrying. She was always there to help, whether it was to lend an ear or a shoulder to cry on for her friends."

Angela Holmes said she that noticed a change in her daughter's personality months after she was supposed to stop taking the prescribed painkillers. She had dilated pupils. She copped an attitude with her mother. She hid up in her room instead of being part of the family's bustling household.

"When I was questioning her about what she was doing, never in a million years did I expect 'heroin' to come out of her mouth," Angela Holmes said.

Angela Holmes said that she couldn't convince her daughter to stop using heroin. She and Savannah moved out of the house. Three months later, Canada Holmes said she wanted to quit using heroin.

She relapsed four months later and got clean for another three months. On March 22, someone gave her fentanyl instead of heroin. Angela and Savannah now care for Carter at their Florida Avenue home.

"We're left explaining to him where his mom is and why God took his mom. What do you tell a 3-year-old?" Angela Holmes said. "Every day he talks about her. We keep her memory very much alive because I'm afraid with him being so young, he's not going to remember her when he gets older."

Angela Holmes said she was particularly glad that Akron police and the Summit County Prosecutors investigated the dealer in the case. Kevin Ecker, 30, is charged with involuntary manslaughter and drug dealing in connection with Canada Holmes' death.

Ecker's trial began Wednesday. It is the first opiate-overdose prosecution to go to trial in Summit County.

"I hope out of all this, we can help some people so they don't fall victim to the same thing, or maybe get a message across to the drug dealers that is more serious than the three years or whatever that they get.

The family has endured two other tragic deaths in recent years. Angela Holmes' nephew, Tyler Anderson, was killed by a gunshot to his head on May 17, 2012. His body was later dumped on 22nd Street S.W. in Akron.

Her brother-in-law, Roy Holmes, 46, died of a heroin overdose in January 2015.

"We don't take family for granted," Angela Holmes said. "We didn't before but we really don't now."