Local woman creates awareness on drug abuse after losing her brother to addiction

After losing her brother to a drug overdose, Tamryn Wells has turned her grief into action to raise awareness about the dangers of drug abuse and to help others find the support they need to overcome addiction.

Through Purple Hope Advocate, found on Facebook, Tamryn aims to bring hope to those struggling or those in a family where addiction is rife.

“The youth do not understand the dangers of substance abuse and how addictive drugs can be. I want them to see the truth.”

Through her page, Tamryn offers advice and shares stories of addictions.

She also shares contact details for rehabilitation centres to help others.

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Tamryn’s brother Seth Kenee died on August 6, last year, from an accidental heroin overdose.

Although it has been seven months since her brother’s death, there are still days when she gets emotional when talking about him.

“It feels like yesterday. I remember everything so clearly; his laugh, his smile and his bear hugs,” said Tamryn.
Seth was born on November 21, 1993, at the old Kempton Park Hospital.

“My brother was so cute and could get away with many things. Even though he was younger than me, he was very protective of me, even up to his last breath and words,” said Tamryn.

“We grew up in a loving Christian home with both parents. We all played a vital role in fighting my brother’s substance abuse. He also fought hard, but the addiction was stronger than him,” she said.

Tamryn said Seth’s drug habits started when he was in high school.

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“He did not have a lot of friends when growing up, but at a later stage of his life, he had a handful of good and some bad friends.

“He started drinking and smoking with his friends in high school. They would get caught at school, and I was a school teacher at the time,” she said.

“We as a family found things did not improve. My parents did their best to help him, although back then there were not many resources available. He would carry on to find worse friends and try more dangerous substances,” said Tamryn.

She said Seth’s path devastated the family as his mental health declined.

“He had many suicide attempts. For some, we were around to stop him. I remember one time my mom and I stopped him from hanging himself.

“I was 12 weeks pregnant with my daughter and my son was only two years old.

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“There were also overdoses and many trips to the psychiatric hospital. We had to leave him crying in a small room on his own to get forms from the police station, so he could not go without us signing him out.

“I ran down the road many times looking for him and begging him to go to rehab. He tried many different drugs and went to many rehabs, but eventually started injecting heroin,” said Tamryn.

In 2021 Tamryn got married, and she lived on the same property as her parents.

She said Seth was excited to be an uncle. “He was so good with children and loved my children. Seth was in and out of rehab.

I suffered anxiety attacks in 2017 and 2018 because of the trauma of an addiction that was not mine. I tried hard to save him until I finally realised I could never do it.

“I would often tell him I did not want my children around the drugs. He always said he loves them and would never let anything happen to them, but the last straw for me was when I caught him getting his drugs thrown over the wall, right where my children would play,” she said.

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“We moved off the property but continued to visit and tried to help where we could.”

Tamryn said in 2020 Seth became sick often and eventually ended up in hospital on a ventilator.

”We thought he was going to die.”

She added that Seth’s continued heroin use had destroyed a heart valve, and he underwent open heart surgery in 2021.

“We all thought Seth would leave the heroin alone after the operation, but the drug had a strong hold over him.

He continued to use, and he landed up in the hospital again. He was on life support for five months.

“I visited him a few times and remember seeing him tied down when I arrived. Whenever he saw me, he would try to talk to me. He cried and told me he didn’t want to be there.”

She said Seth eventually gained enough strength to leave the hospital but he had to be on oxygen 24 hours a day because of the damage to his lungs.

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“Seth had TB, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.”

Tamryn said Seth eventually entered rehab at Akeso and was working through the programme until he became sick.

“He was sent to hospital and eventually home.”

Seth was clean for three months.

“He was back to his old self, joking, laughing, sending me messages, and just talking like we used to. He told me he was going to show people he made it.

“Seth said he wanted a big party for his 30th birthday because he never thought he would make it to 30.

“Yet sadly he never did make it to 30,” said Tamryn.

She recalled in the days leading up to his death, Seth was depressed. She knew he had started using again.
Seth refused his family’s pleas to return to rehab.

Tamryn said the family had gathered at her parent’s house for a Sunday lunch when tragedy struck.

“My mom went into Seth’s room to tell him lunch was ready and he was crouched on the floor. My dad lay Seth on the floor and we looked for a pulse.

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I rubbed his chest, begging him to wake up.”

She said when the paramedics left after declaring Seth dead, all her family could do was cry over his cold, lifeless body.

“I clung to him crying. I did not want to let go because I knew it would be the last time I would hug my baby brother. Seth is no longer tormented by the demons he fought every day. I will forever love him and miss him.”

Residents who would like to find out more about Purple Hope Advocate can find Tamryn’s page on Facebook.

Alternatively, contact her at 072 195 6056.