In daughter’s memory, father is working to raise awareness, save lives
By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times
A Kennett Square resident whose 23-year-old daughter, Kacie Erin Rumford, died of a heroin overdose earlier this year, is bringing his crusade to educate the public about the scourge of this widely available drug to Parkesburg.
Andy Rumford has channeled the devastation he felt on March 12 when he found his daughter unresponsive in her bedroom into a proactive campaign to help others avoid his heartbreak. He believes it’s a path that his daughter, who was always committed to helping others, would embrace.
A web site that Rumford created in his daughter’s memory includes information that Rumford hopes will save lives. He and other members of the Kacie’s Cause team will take their message to Octorara Junior High School on Saturday from 10 to 11 a.m., stressing the importance of working together to confront a heroin epidemic responsible for over 36,500 deaths a year nationwide.
Rumford said the plague has infiltrated the local community. Based on information from the county coroner, 35 deaths from drug overdoses occurred in Chester County in 2012, a number the county is on track to duplicate this year, Rumford said.
The Town Hall-style event is open to the public, and you do not need to be a resident of Parkesburg to attend. An RSVP to longwoodcorvette@yahoo.com is appreciated, but not required. For more information, visit www.kaciescause.com. The school is located at 228 Highland Road, Atglen, 19310.
