Dennis was always so full of life. He was always smiling. I remember about a week before he died, we went out to eat. He kept kissing my cheeks and saying how good he was doing. He was in a half way house. He seemed so happy. A few days later he asked my husband, Dennis's step-father, if he could move back home. He said he really didn't need the half way house, that he wanted to stay with us and then get his own place. My husband told him it was okay. Dennis tried to call me the next day, but I was in the shower. I tried to call him back. It was too late, the phones were off in the half way house. That would have been our last conversation. The next day no one could find him. Then we got a phone call from his best friend. He said they found Denny's van on Kensington Avenue. Someone had OD'd and died. He said he was sure it was Denny. I will never forget that day. I felt like I had been kicked in my stomach. It had to be a mistake. How could I live without one of my children? I remember feeling like I couldn't breathe. I never felt pain like this. I kept seeing Denny's face only days ago, laughing and saying he was so happy. And that he was gonna be okay. He cheated death so many times. When he was 12 he was hit by a truck. When he was 17, he was in a bad car accident that took the life of his cousin. Then, when he was 21, he was in another car accident and his friend was killed. He used to say, "Mom, I am never going to die." I think these accidents affected him and he chose drugs to ease his pain. But he lived through all this and ONE BAG OF HEROIN took his life. It will be seven years on September 11th and I still can't believe I will never see him or touch him again. I can't help but wonder what he would look like now. What his life would be like. He left behind a lot of people who miss him. He never even got to meet his 2 nieces or 2 nephews. They only know him by his picture. I love him and miss him so much. I will miss him until I die.

Dennis had worked as a carpet installer, and was very good at it. Everybody raved about his work.