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The Death Of Our Daughter

Family seeks to fight opioids after daughter's death

For six years, Greg and Dawn Tatro watched their daughter struggle with an opioid addiction. Then in February, Jenna Tatro died at age 26 in their home in Johnson. Now her parents hope to create a community-based recovery center to help others fight addiction.

Every night after dinner, they sit down in their living room and select a few envelopes to open from a mound of sympathy cards. Greg Tatro said the messages from friends and neighbors are helping them heal.

“We open up 10 cards or so,” he said, gently opening an envelope, “and if we’re having a tough time, we might open up just five. But sometimes when you open up a card, there’s a letter attached to it. So it can take you quite a while to read the letter and actually let it sink in.”

Some of those cards also have checks made out to their daughter Jenna’s memorial fund. The Tatros want to open a place in Johnson where other people suffering through addiction can get treatment. Greg Tatro said his family is in a unique position to help address opioid addiction in Lamoille County.

“I’ve been working through with Jenna fighting this disease for six years and then we lost her about a month ago,” he said. “So, I’ve been on the streets. I’ve been involved in this. You know, we tried to help our daughter save her life but there was always a – it seems like it’s too easy, the drugs are always here.”

Greg Tatro said Jenna’s addiction began with hospital-prescribed painkillers – 30 days’ worth of opiates and a refill. Over six years Jenna went to at least 25 different treatment centers across the country, her parents said, but she often walked away after a couple of weeks.

“Her addiction was so strong, that she just couldn’t beat it. You know?” her father said. “And the last time, before she passed away, she was sober for 55 days and then made one call and four days later she was gone.”

Greg Tatro said Jenna had a good heart and, even in the throes of her addiction, she wanted to help other people going through what she was going through.

So in their daughter’s memory, the Tatros have started an organization to establish a local recovery clinic – a place where people suffering with addictive disorders can go to address their physical health, mental health and overall well-being. They plan to call it Jenna’s House. …Read More Here

We are focused on assisting our community in building a healthier and safer place to live, work, learn, and do business by reducing the burden of substance use disorder in our region. We seek to remove barriers for people seeking treatment.


Contact Jenna’s Promise
Location
PO Box 575
Johnson, VT 05656
By Phone
(802) 343-8741
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