NE Kansans to be featured in national fentanyl documentary

TOPEKA (KSNT) – Fentanyl is affecting the lives of many Americans, which is why one Texas based media company is making the trip to Topeka to share victim’s stories.

Every day more than 150 people die from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl.

“Fentanyl has really had a devastating impact on communities,” Creative Director for Texas Pictures Glen Muse said. “It’s something that communities don’t really give much thought to until it strikes.”

From Thursday through Saturday, Texas Pictures Documentaries, which travels the country telling these stories, began interviews for its current film featuring victims of fentanyl in Kansas. This includes local families who lost a loved one, and even some people going through addiction recovery.

“It does a lot for the person who shares the story, the person who sits down and talks out the whole experience,” Muse said. “It helps motivate other people to watch out for this dangerous drug.”

For example, Aber Sale-Burger. Four of her family members have died from fentanyl overdoses in the past two years.

“The way they put those stories together it’s amazing,” Burger said. “And it brings our children back for just a little bit. I think it’s a great tool in our grief belt.”

Those involved with this documentary tell me education is crucial. Many parents who lost loved ones to fentanyl are educating people to help decrease these deaths.

“I want to do something more and get awareness out and be a support group for other families and parents that are going through this same thing and, so we started a group,” Shannon Earnshaw who lost multiple family members to fentanyl said. “It’s called Kansas Families Fighting Fentanyl.”

You can view the full documentary here when its completed.