A 12-year-old girl in Victoria recently died of a suspected overdose and her mom is now speaking out about the need for rehab facilities in the province.
Adriana Londono said her daughter, Ally, died April 14 after taking drugs at a friend’s home in Langford.
She said Ally began experimenting with drugs such as meth and heroin when she was just 11 years old.
Shortly after moving to Vancouver Island from Calgary, Londono said she tried to get her daughter into a rehab facility but she was told there were none for children under the age of 14. She said Ally also refused to go to counselling.
“I don’t think she’s too young to go to rehab, I think she was too young to die,” Londono told Global News.
She said she has struggled with her own mental health and addiction issues and said more resources need to be made available to help both adults and kids struggling with substance abuse.
“She grew up way too fast and I wish I could have helped more but unfortunately, I tried my best but given my circumstances and my problems, and the fact that I haven’t gotten help for my problems my whole life, it really didn’t give me the ability to help her,” Londono said.
The BC Coroners Service is still investigating what led to Ally’s death and the Ministry of Children and Family Development said it cannot comment on specific cases due to privacy reasons.
If fentanyl is proven to be the cause of Ally’s death, the 12-year-old would be the youngest person in B.C. to die of an illicit drug overdose as the Coroners Service said the previous youngest person was 13 years old.
Londono said she knows she needs to speak out now about what happened to her daughter.
“I’m here for you, Ally, and I want to spread your word that you were crying for help and I want to be that voice that will ask for you because you can’t do it yourself. I’m going to get the help I need, I hope. And that your death is not in vain,” she said.
“You’re going to help so many kids and so many parents be the best they can be and to live a full, beautiful life.”