Subject: A Real Story that Saves Lives: Fentanyl, the Human Brain, and the Power to Choose
Dear [Principal / Administrator],
Every week in our schools, students hear warnings about drugs, yet the crisis grows. What they rarely hear is a living story that shows both the hidden danger of fentanyl and the indestructible worth of a human life, even after tragedy. Our family’s life changed forever when our 27 year old son Jeffrey was given a drug that contained fentanyl.
It stopped his breathing for almost eight minutes and left him with a severe brain injury. For a year-and-a-half we lived with him in nine of the best hospitals and rehab centers, discovering both the fragility and the extraordinary potential of the human brain.
Jeffrey’s journey became the subject of the documentary “Open Your Eyes Jeffrey” released in theaters in March 2025 and now streaming on Amazon Prime, Roku, YouTube TV, Sling TV, and Comcast. Along the way we were joined by leading brain-injury physicians such as Dr. Craig DiTommaso and Dr. Cindy Ivanhoe, both of whom emphasize that patients are far more than a diagnosis or a prognosis, they are whole people with will, emotions, and the capacity to fight for recovery. We also have the public support of community voices such as Glenn Mose, founder of the anti-drug Texas Pictures documentaries, and local law-enforcement leaders including Chief Danny Keele and Lt. Daniel Rodriguez of Jersey Village PD.
What We Offer Your Students
Through a live presentation with short video clips, we help students see rather than just hear about: The Cost of One Wrong Choice: How a single decision can alter a future. The Genius of the Human Brain and How Drugs Hijack It: The wonder of the brain’s ability to learn, heal, and adapt, and how fentanyl can destroy that potential. The Power of a Resilient Spirit and Strong Self-Will: The ability to rise again, even after trauma or mistakes.
We also add an essential message of personal agency:
As I often share with audiences no matter what a young person has lived through, rejection, hurt, abuse, or loss, no one can take away their right to pursue a meaningful, successful life. Don’t give that power to the pain or to the people who caused it. Don’t let them win, more than that, prove them wrong. - Jessica Varian
Why Schools Find This Impactful
Students listen differently when the message comes from a family that has lived the consequences. Administrators tell us it complements their health, safety, and social-emotional learning efforts; it’s not an outside agenda, but a partner in protecting and inspiring students. We ask for no funding only the opportunity to speak and, if possible, to join with a local officer or physician for a brief Q&A.
Critical Information
Even as U.S. fentanyl overdose deaths fell to a still catastrophic 80,000 in 2024 even with 27% dropped from previous years. Provisional early 2025 data exposes dangerously uneven progress, with Texas reeling from thousands of cases despite spotty local wins like a 50% drop in Dallas County, leaving our youth perilously exposed. Far more terrifying, NITAZENES insidious lab-bred killers up to 43 times deadlier than fentanyl, frequently mocking Narcan’s life-saving grasp have erupted in Texas, snatching at least 15 lives in Houston alone through mid-2025 a chilling 57% surge from late 2024. We would be honored to discuss bringing this presentation to your school. Thank you for the work you do every day to protect and guide the next generation. We hope to stand beside you in that mission.
Warm regards,
Jessica Varian
Personal cellphone # (832)528-9100
Co-Founder & Director, Jeffrey’s Journey & Legacy
https://jeffreysjourneyandlegacy.org/en
