Family pens candid obituary about daughter's drug overdose

A Maine couple's candid obituary about the death of their 24-year-old daughter from a drug overdose has prompted an outpouring of support from all over the country for its words of caution to others struggling with a loved one's addiction.

The obit was posted on Tributes.com by Tom Parks and his wife, Pat Noble, of Saco, Maine.

It gets right to the point: "Molly Alice Parks, age 24, who most currently resided in Manchester, NH, passed away in Manchester on April 16, 2015 as the result of a heroin overdose."

The obituary says Molly attended high school in Orchard Beach, Maine, in 2009 and a local community college "until her addiction took over."

They said she "will always be remembered for fearless personality and her trademark red lipstick" and her love of theater, fashion and Harry Potter books.

"Along Molly's journey through life, she made a lot of bad decisions including experimenting with drugs," the obit reads. "She fought her addiction to heroin for at least five years and had experienced a near fatal overdose before. Molly's family truly loved her and tried to be as supportive as possible as she struggled with the heroin epidemic that has been so destructive to individuals and families in her age bracket."

They then offer a word of advice to other families going through similar struggles. "If you have any loved one's who are fighting addiction, Molly's family asks that you do everything possible to be supportive, and guide them to rehabilitation before it is too late," they wrote.

Parks told WMUR-TV in Manchester that he knew immediately why police showed up at his door last Thursday night.

"I said, 'You're here because of Molly,'" Parks said.

He said Molly had visited Maine the previous weekend and was affectionate and full of good spirits.

"(She was) quirky. She liked goofy outfits, but she was fashionable, but goofy, and very funny and fun-loving," said Noble, her stepmother.

Parks told WMUR that Molly had been found by her aunt in Manchester last August after another overdose, but survived. She then tried rehab three times.

He said her death is a cautionary tale for anyone with a family member struggling with drugs.

"Don't believe that your addict is clean. Don't do it," he told WMUR. "You have to be diligent. Stay right on top of them."

Noble said the obit has drawn expressions of support — and questions — from people as far away as Arizona.