Mum of drug victim in walk for law change

Campaign after death of son Aidan

A MOTHER whose son died from a heroin overdose is to walk 30 miles to push for a change in drug laws.

Penny Mccanny has made it her mission to ensure no other family has to go through the heartbreak her’s did when Aidan passed away in July 2013.

He would have turned 30 on September 16 and to mark it Penny will walk a mile for each of those years.

The Co Antrim woman said: “Aidan was a little shy and very kind, thoughtful, funny with a passion for knowledge, a need to make sense of the universe and of life. He was on his way to being free from addiction, it took an amazing amount of strength to do that. I wouldn’t have had that strength.

“I’m not ashamed Aidan used illegal drugs, I’m ashamed I didn’t understand him sooner. If I had, he might still be alive.

“If we can let even one person know they are carrying an unnecessary burden of shame then we will have achieved something.”

Funds raised from the Aidan: A Mile In His Shoes walk will go towards the Transform Drug Policy Foundation, a charitable think tank that campaigns for the legal regulation of drugs both in the UK and internationally.

Penny is also a member of Anyone’s Child, an international network of families who have lost loved ones to drugs and want better control.

She explained: “A child with a phone and cash can get cocaine delivered to their home, but can’t buy a beer or cigarettes. I couldn’t understand why, when reducing his heroin use, he needed to test the dose.

“He said 500mg of paracetamol is always 500mg of paracetamol.

“Unregulated drugs are different. You don’t know what you are getting, it’s a lottery.”

The September 16 walks will starts and finishes in Antrim. To find out more visit www.anyoneschild.org/penny/.

CO ANTRIM YESTERDAY

SPECIAL BOND Aidan and his mother Penny