OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Omaha DEA officials say the number of illegal fentanyl pills they’re taking off the streets is rapidly growing.

A few years ago agents were finding a few pills with each bust now they’re picking up thousands of fentanyl-laced pills at a time. A Papillion mother wants everyone to know that the drug is in our community and causing a lot of pain.

Melanie Olson has plenty of pictures of her three sons. She also has haunting memories of how she lost her oldest.

Back in June, 21-year-old Jaydn Coney overdosed on fentanyl. Medics administered Narcan after Jaydn’s mom discovered him in the bathroom.

“When we opened the door he was, he was hunched over, he was purple, everywhere. I immediately started compressions I work as a surgical tech and that’s the first time I ever had to use that was on Jaydn,” said Olson.

Jaydn died two days later at the hospital. His mother relives that horrible moment warning everyone of the dangers of the drug.

“He was on life support until Saturday, June 25 about four o’clock is when they pronounced him dead. They’re teenagers they’re going to do what they do but they need to be aware of what’s going on out there and this has really opened their eyes, I think to what could happen,” said Olson.

Those two terrible days still don’t seem real. Eli, 14, now wears the hat and hoodie once worn by his brother Jaydn. Gabe, 16, is rethinking the teenage party scene.

“I don’t know if I want to go to a party now, I don’t know if I want to go hang out with friends, do all this, I just don’t know. I don’t know what’s inside of…what’s hidden,” said Gabe Mathis.

“I don’t know, I don’t know,” said Eli.

This family is still struggling with the loss of Jaydn. This deadly drug has them all trying to figure out how did this happen.

“How did I miss this, I still don’t know how I missed it,” said Olson.

Omaha DEA agents are taking more and more deadly fentanyl off of metro area streets.

A few grains fentanyl of can be fatal and we’re seeing more and more of the drug in the metro.

“We do have access to Narcan everyone of our patrol deputies has access to Narcan they have it with them and we’ve used it several times to help people we’ve come in contact with who are overdosing on fentanyl,” said Chris Culler, Sarpy County Sheriff’s Department.

Fentanyl is a growing problem in the metro and this deadly drug doesn’t discriminate against age, background, or ethnicity it doesn’t matter. Melanie says one way to fight against this drug is through communication and talking to your children.

“I think a lot of times kids don’t want to talk to their parents because they’re afraid of what their parents might think or how they might react but it means if it can save one kid or save a parent’s heartache you know,” said Olson.

Melanie is pulling her children closer and talking more. Gabe is listening and is now more aware of the unknown.

“It’s invisible they can’t see it they don’t know what it is, it’s never 100%, it’s never trustworthy, no matter what it is no matter how safe you think it is,” said Mathis.

Melanie is reliving all the memories good and bad. For one reason, to sound the alarm, fentanyl is here, it’s real, and it’s extremely dangerous.

“You see stories on the news and ‘oh that’s just stories on the news that could never happen to me that could never happen to my children that could never happen to my friend,’ but it can, and it’s devastating. Because it can never be taken back,” said Olson.

It takes a very small amount of fentanyl to create a fatal dose. Dealers put the stuff in pills. It’s even found in what you might think are prescription medications.

Now all Melanie has are memories of when she was together with all three of her boys and a determination to hold onto the two who are still here.

“You hear a lot of stories from these experts and they’re telling you the statistics of fentanyl but until it affects your family, it’s hard to imagine, it is hard to imagine,” said Olson.

Melanie says people should not be afraid to call 911 when they think they are with someone who is overdosing on drugs.

According to Nebraska state law, you can not get into trouble for reporting a drug overdose. The good samaritan law protects people who call 911 or who drive someone to the emergency room.

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