Ten years after losing their 23-year-old son, Jamie, to a drug overdose, Detroit Red Wings announcer Ken Daniels and Lisa Daniels Goldman are marking the somber milestone by continuing the work they started in his name.
The two co-founded the Jamie Daniels Foundation to reduce the stigma surrounding addiction and help those affected by it. Each year, they host a celebrity roast fundraiser in Jamie's honor.
You can see the full story in the video below
"He was fun. He was funny. He loved to joke and cuddle. He was just a very warm, loving…like his personality was infectious," Lisa Daniels Goldman said.
"Yeah, as was his laugh," Ken Daniels said. "That's why we do the roast to support the foundation in his name."
Jamie Daniels struggled with addiction for many years, but his parents say he was determined to get better. After college, the Michigan State graduate entered a treatment program in Florida, where he was recovering and detoxing. But once he was discharged, his parents say things took a turn.
They say Jamie became a victim of patient brokering as he moved into different sober living homes and was taken advantage of by doctors he thought he could trust.
"You get enticed by the 'Florida Shuffle' and 'patient brokering' for the enticement of free rent or a car, or a bike, food, clothes to go into a home that is anything but sober," Ken Daniels said.
"It was every step he took, somebody was manipulating [him]. We didn't know it, he didn't know it," Daniels Goldman said.
On December 7, 2016, Jamie — who was 228 days sober and pursuing a career in law — was given a synthetic opioid laced with a lethal dose of heroin and fentanyl.
"It was 10:15 in the morning. I was wrapping gifts for the holiday season, and I see a police officer that I didn't know, so my first reaction was, what did he do and he told me. Have you ever hugged a police officer with a vest on, it's not comforting," Ken Daniels said.
For Lisa Daniels Goldman, the pain has not faded with time.
"It's still a very surreal feeling and it doesn't go away. There's no closure, there's no healing. There's no lack of guilt," she said.
This year's anniversary has been especially difficult for her.
"I say it's harder. Every year for me gets harder because the memories aren't as clear," Daniels Goldman said.
For parents whose children may be struggling with addiction, Daniels Goldman offered this advice: call your doctor who you trust and talk to people that you trust.
Through their annual fundraiser, the Jamie Daniels Foundation has provided programming and grants for elementary, middle, and highs schools along with 11 colleges around the state. The foundation is also helping two doctors from the University of Michigan and Wayne State University develop an app to help parents navigate substance use disorders.
"What we've done, we're proud of that and proud of it in Jamie's name," Ken Daniels said.
"The foundation gives the opportunity to say his name everyday," Daniels Goldman said.
This year's Jamie Daniels Foundation Celebrity Roast is Saturday, August 29 at 5:30 p.m. at Motor City Casino, featuring Red Wings legend Chris Osgood.
The auction runs through Saturday night at 7:45 p.m, and you can buy your ticket here.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
