SAN ANTONIO — During the legislative session, Governor Greg Abbott proclaimed October as Fentanyl Awareness Month in Texas.
Now mothers who have lost their children to the drug are taking the opportunity to share their experiences in hopes of helping other mothers avoid the tragedy they have experienced.
"One pill can take your life, just one," said Christina Villagrana.
Villagrana lost her son, Kyle Hinkel, to fentanyl pensioning in May of last year. She says her son was like her best friend, he was a sweet loving person who loved animals, especially dogs.
The two had just moved from California to San Antonio, six weeks before his death. Kyle had just received his EMT certification.
"So it was really hard to lose him, after having that kind of relationship over his whole life," said Villagrana.
It's that bond that may have alerted her that something was wrong the night he died. Kyle was usually a night owl, but on that night he went to bed early. She ignored the feeling and didn't find him until the next morning.
"I touched him and he was cold and he was stiff already, so he obviously died the night before. I'm mad that I didn't go check you know, because I had a weird gut feeling like go check. Why is he in bed so early?" said Villagrana.
The decision not to check on him that night is a decision she says she regrets everyday. To help her cope with Kyle's loss, she has leaned on the support of other mothers for strength.
"We call ourselves angel moms, moms of angels," said Villagrana.
The group has formed a non-profit and will be hosting a walk next Saturday at Brooks City Base called Soles Walking for Souls.
"We want it to be families. We want it to be people in recovery. We want it to be angel parents. This is all inclusive," said Villagrana.
Villagrana says her goal is now to spread awareness in an effort to prevent a tragedy from happening to someone else. She says parents need to speak to warn their children.
"If you're choosing to use drugs that are not prescribed by your doctor, you're running the risk that you can die, it's like Russian roulette," said Villagrana.
If you would like to participate or for more information about the walk you can click here.