The Love is Free Foundation has been birthed from tragedy. On November 2nd, 2024 we lost our oldest son Dominic to a 3 year long battle with opioid use disorder. He was only 24 years old and had his whole Earth bound life ahead of him. Our lives have been drastically changed going through this experience. Rather than sitting in our sadness, we’ve decided to turn this pain into purpose by helping those who are still out there struggling. Heartbeats = hope from our perspective.

Dominic’s kind spirit brightened the lives of everyone he knew. His sense of humor was vivacious and brought heart felt happiness into our family, even during some of the darkest times of his journey. Throughout his lifetime, he loved skateboarding, surfing, playing guitar, cooking, reading, writing, watching movies, listening to music, hiking, traveling, playing video games, spending time with those he loved, and working for the family business in music and entertainment production.

In early 2021, Dom was introduced to fentanyl in the circle of friends he was hanging out with. The blue M30 pills were understood to be Percocet, but over time it was revealed to Dom they were actually pills containing fentanyl. By then, the addiction had taken over both physically and mentally. Dominic’s promising young adult life began to unravel pretty quickly. In August of 2021, Dom entered his first treatment center, but soon realized he was not ready to face his opioid use disorder. The next 2 years of his life were very turbulent for him and those that loved him. He spent several months unhoused in the Orange County and Long Beach, California area’s. During this time, our family recognized that Dom was one of too many people experiencing homelessness due to substance use disorder. Our family’s perspective was shifted entirely at this point…now every person out there looked like someone’s son, daughter, mother, father, sibling, nephew, niece, or life partner.

In June of 2023 a glimmer of hope emerged in Dominic’s spirit & he decided to re-enter treatment and commit to his recovery. With the support of family, loved ones, and an active recovery community, he was fentanyl free for over a year. We remain eternally grateful for this wonderful time we had with Dominic. Our family felt restored for a little while.

It is tragic how strong and overpowering fentanyl is on the mind, body, and spirit. Even after a year of sobriety, there was such a pull back to this drug. It seems as if there was a re-wiring of Dom’s neurology that kept tugging at him mentally. Merely 2 days before Dominic’s fatal overdose, he was in his out patient session making plans to go next level in his recovery. The deceiving disease took hold of him on that fall evening; the cunning idea “one last time” won the battle in his mind. When afflicted with substance use disorder, every decision to use is a gamble with life, especially in these modern times. Most street narcotics are now laced with fentanyl. Even if fentanyl is the drug being sought after, that can be laced with methamphetamine, animal tranquilizers, or newer & stronger opioid analogs that keep evolving into the drug supply. Needless to say, it’s a dark road to go down with serious, life ending consequences at times.

To this day I believe that Dom could’ve beat this disease if he had more time. Dominic’s life force was strong and closely guided in a healthy direction, it would’ve been unstoppable. His torch has now been passed to his loved ones still here. We’ll launch the homeless outreach service work we had once discussed doing together early on in his recovery. We’ll also share resources for recovery with families that may have no idea where to find help for their loved one or themselves.

Our mission is to provide care packages to people experiencing homelessness and share local recovery resources whom can aid in substance use disorder treatment or support. If we can inspire one person out there to seek recovery and re-connect with their family, our purpose will be fulfilled. We do not wish this lifelong despairing grief on anyone’s family.

Delivered hand to hand with Dom’s same kind smile, we hope to “LIFF” up our brothers & sisters to feel loved where they’re at.

In these dark times, we believe Love is the Answer, Love is Free, and God is Love. <3