BREEN, Sophie Margaret (nee FELTES) - On March 4, 2020, 27-year old Sophie Breen was the 12th person in a matter of days to overdose on fentanyl in Guelph, Ontario.
Her cause of death makes her one of far too many.
But to her family, she was one of a kind: a powerfully intelligent, passionate, talented, independent, resilient woman.
For many years, through terrible suffering caused by mental and physical illness, she did absolutely everything in her power to heal and to be healthy.
She found the strength to resist drug misuse for the better part of 6 years.
When she was feeling well, her impact, her achievements and her lust for life were formidable.
When her depression worsened, she mustered all her strength to try to dig herself out of it, and she never stopped seeking help. Nor did she ever stop offering help and advocating for those around her.
She experienced severe and chronic physical pain, and after trying everything else, one night she was desperate enough to take a terrible risk in the hope of finding even a moment's relief.
For that, no one can fault her.
We, her family and friends, can take comfort in the fact that Sophie knew she was deeply loved.
She was generous with her appreciation of this love – especially the love she received from her mother Mary Breen, from her sister Emma Feltes and from her fiancé Brendan Kartash, whom she looked forward to marrying with great joy.
She loved us back, fiercely. Sophie did everything fiercely. And we are going to honour her memory fiercely. For now, the family has chosen to have a private service.
Later in the spring, we will host a public memorial in Guelph; we will share these plans when we have details.
In the meantime, if you would like to honour Sophie, please consider donating to one of the following organizations where Sophie was a dedicated volunteer: Sanguen (https://sanguen.com), a community health agency offering mobile community health vans, opioid harm reduction/Naloxone training, and Hepatitis C testing and support.
CMHA Self-Help and Peer Support (https://cmhawwselfhelp.ca), which offers support by and for people who have experienced mental health or addiction issues.
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