INDIANAPOLIS -- Overdoses are a growing and deadly problem in Indiana.
In memory of the dozens of people lost to overdoses, a candlelight vigil was held at the White River State Park to remember those gone too soon.
People used clothespins to add photos to a display described as heartwarming but also heartbreaking, just a few days before International Overdose Awareness Day.
"It's like living in a nightmare that you can't wake up from," Patricia Tichenor said.
Tichenor lost her youngest son Nick to heroin. He was 21.
"They don't understand the dangers of opioids on both sides," Justin Phillips said. Phillips lost her son Aaron to heroin in 2013.
So Phillips set out to change that and save lives.
MORE | Mom turns heroin heartache into mission
She founded the Overdose Lifeline, a group that held its third annual Overdose Awareness Day Sunday.
In the past three years, the group has helped get Aaron's Law passed, making it possible for Hoosiers to buy the overdose reversal drug Nalaxone without a prescription.
PREVIOUS | Proposedbill eliminates need for Narcan prescription
The group also helps support grieving families.
"So many people I know have addiction problems," Tichenor said. "I mean that's the society we live in. I mean you have to open your eyes and look at the reality."
MORE HEROIN COVERAGE: Franklin PD arrests 21 in heroin ring | Sheriff issues stern warning, plea for help after heroin death | Editorial: Heroin is a disease, not a choice | How to spot a heroin user| Mom turns heroin heartache into mission | City launches program to end heroin use, disease| 'Don't sugarcoat this,' mom says of heroin death | Hamilton Co.: Wealthy, educated, dying of heroin | Heroin overdoses skyrocket in Shelbyville | Howard County sees spike in heroin overdoses | Fishers police fighting growing heroin problem | Anderson PD targets 24 suspects in heroin bust |Heroin may be the most addictive drug | Heroin, designer drugs remain popular in school
