Group hosts walk for lives lost to opioids

LORAIN — In a bright blue shirt with "Forever 28" printed across the back, Ashley Taylor balanced her 1-year-old niece on one hip and held up a sign in her other hand. The sign, which featured a smiling photo of Taylor's brother, Luther, was in memory of the young man who died just shy of two years ago in the Lorain County Jail while going through opioid withdrawals. Luther Taylor, 28, died Sept. 11, 2023, less than two weeks after he was booked into the jail on contempt of court and complicity charges . Another inmate alerted guards to Taylor's condition — he was lying on his side, unresponsive with blood coming from his nose. A half-hour later, the 28-year-old Avon Lake resident was declared dead. At the time, he had been going through withdrawals and had sought medical help from jail staff prior to his death, his family said. On Saturday, Luther's sister, mother, step-father and other supporters walked around a portion of South Lorain's Oakwood Park, hoping to call attention to the dangers of fentanyl and other opioids, and seek better treatment for inmates detoxing in the county's jail. Taylor said the walk grew out of a Facebook event, but alleged the original poster was a scammer and the original event page and other posts were removed from social media. Rather than let the cause fizzle out or be clouded by a scam on social media, Taylor and others still gathered at the park on Saturday. Luther Taylor's stepfather, Mike Hopkins, said men like his stepson need help and medical support when facing opioid withdrawal. Amanda Williams held two signs for men she did not know while the small group walked. As a recovering addict herself — now just over a year sober — she said it was important to be a part of events like Saturday's walk and lend support and help to those still struggling and their families. "This is a huge problem for a lot of people who don't have the family or money (for rehab programs)," Williams said. Luther Taylor's family planned to place one of his signs at a memorial for him outside the jail, and hoped to get the signs for other lives lost to their family members. International Overdose Awareness Day is Aug. 31. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com