LAKE WORTH, Fla. — A Lake Worth mother is making it her mission to raise awareness on fentanyl overdose deaths after losing her daughter to the drug.
On Tuesday evening, groups gathered to release lanterns on the water beside The Hive in Lake Worth to remember victims.
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Karen Esposito-Sherman organized the event and says her 29-year-old Jenny died from a fentanyl overdose back in 2020.
“We do know that she had some cocaine and it was three-quarters fentanyl,” said Esposito-Sherman. “It killed her instantly.”
She says after WPTV shared her story in 2022, people reached her after facing similar stories of loss and they’ve been gathering monthly at The Hive.
“We just are a group of people that didn’t know each other before, and now we just, we’ve become friends and that’s pretty cool,” said Esposito-Sherman. “Our goal is awareness because a lot of people, like most of us, that come once a month, we didn’t know anything about fentanyl.”
Since her daughter’s passing, Esposito-Sherman has made it her mission to put an end to the fentanyl crisis — and she’s rallied in Washington, D.C.
WPTV’s Zitlali Solache looked into the fentanyl crisis in Florida and research shows the state is making some progress against the problem. According to reports from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), total drug-related deaths decreased by 14% in 2024, with fentanyl-caused deaths down 35%.
“They’re in pills, they’re in marijuana, they’re in coke, they’re everywhere and not to trust anyone,” said Esposito-Sherman.
The report still found fentanyl was the leading drug involved in deaths in 2024. In Palm Beach County, 3,661 people who died had fentanyl in their system — 235 in Martin County, 578 in St. Lucie County, 250 in Indian River County, and 98 in Okeechobee County.
Esposito-Sherman says spreading the word can prevent a tragedy from happening.
“I just want to let parents know to be vigilant and talk to their children about fentanyl,” said Esposito-Sherman. “It’s your life and you don’t get a second chance.”
