Marvilee

08/29/2026

August 25-31 is Drug Overdose and Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Week in Nebraska.

This week, we remember people whose lives were lost to overdose, support the families and friends who carry that grief and stand alongside people affected by substance use and recovery.

We encourage residents to learn the signs of an overdose, carry naloxone and talk about substance use with compassion rather than judgment.

Learn about local prevention, treatment and recovery resources at lincoln.ne.gov/OD.

08/28/2026

08/26/2026

08/25/2026

August 25-31 is Drug Overdose and Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness in Nebraska proclamed by Governor Jim Pillen.

08/25/2026

Two weeks ago, Governor Jim Pillen proclaimed August 25–31 as Drug Overdose and Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Week in Nebraska.

I had the honor of accepting the proclamation while standing alongside Marvilee's Board President and Vice President, as well as our incredible collaborating partners from CenterPointe, Stop Overdose Nebraska, and the Wellbeing Initiative,,to accept this important proclamation and use the moment to share about Marvin.

After I spoke, Governor Pillen gave me a hug and spoke Marvin’s name in remembrance of him and the legacy we are building in his honor.

When people hear my story and then hug me, I call it “Marvin hugs.” I believe these moments are Marvin’s way of embracing me with his love and approval, reminding me that the work we are doing to honor his life matters.

This Thursday, we will come together to remember Marvin and the many others we have lost to overdose and poisoning. We will honor their lives, their stories, their families, and the legacies they leave behind.

Please join us for the Overdose & Poisoning Awareness & Remembrance Event.

Come stand with us. Come remember. Come honor. Come help us keep their names and their stories alive. 💜

Marvin, you are forever loved, forever remembered, and forever the reason mom keeps going.

08/23/2026

This is a photo of my son’s last mug shot.

He was in active addiction. But what does active addiction really look like?

Because looking at this picture, you might not see what I saw.

He had a fresh haircut. He didn’t look like he had missed any meals. His face was groomed, and I guarantee he had on the latest Jordans and the best fit to match. He smelled like fresh Polo and was probably his most charming self.

That’s Marvin.

And that’s the thing about addiction. It doesn’t always look like what we think it looks like.

It can look like a clean haircut, fresh clothes, a big smile, playing video games, a loving son, a funny friend, or the person who walks into a room and lights it up.

Addiction can hide behind a smile.

It can hide behind charm.

It can hide behind the person everyone thinks is doing just fine.

Marvin was so much more than his addiction. He was my son. He was a brother. He was loved. He was funny, charismatic, handsome, and full of life. Addiction was something he struggled with, but it was never who he was.

I share this picture because I want us to look beyond the picture.

Look beyond the clothes.

Look beyond the smile.

Look beyond what you think addiction is supposed to look like.

Someone can be struggling deeply and still look perfectly okay on the outside.

Let’s stop judging and start listening.

Let’s reduce the stigma, normalize recovery, and create spaces where people feel safe enough to say, “I’m not okay.”

Because sometimes the person who looks the best in the room may be the person who needs someone to ask, “How are you really doing?”

I wish I had known then what I know now.

I wish we all knew. Im sorry so sorry son.

RecoveryIsPossible Marvilee Forever24 marvinsullivan overdosepoisoningawarenessweek