In March of 1985, my pot of gold at the end of the rainbow arrived, and that was the birth of my beautiful daughter, Krystle. I will always remember that glorious day when the doctor handed her to me and our eyes just connected like magnets. It was love at first sight. She was my only child, and the love of my life. Beautiful and outgoing, she had a laugh that distinguished her from all others.

As Krystle grew up, she became very popular and had many friends. She was wise beyond her years. She loved to watch TV shows like, "I Love Lucy" and the "Honeymooners". She was infatuated with the life of Marilyn Monroe. Who knew that my only daughter's life would turn out to be so similar to that of her idol.

Krystle was smart and achieved high honors in school. By the time she was in high school, she knew that she wanted to attend college in Florida. Her dream was to become a teacher and help other kids.

Until her death, I believed that I had the perfect all-American girl. After her passing, I began to look through her belongings and found items that indicated drug use. Her diary enlightened me even more. She smoked marijuana, snorted cocaine, took ecstasy and drank alcohol. She died from a heroin overdose.

Krystle was a girl who had beauty, book smarts, and a dynamic personality. She also had the disease of addiction, which affects all walks of life. We need to make society aware that drug addiction is a disease and NOT a behavioral problem. This illness has claimed my only child's life, and has left my heart and soul empty.