A widow has shared a shocking photo of her and her children posing next to her late husband inside a casket at his funeral.
Eva Holland and her kids, Lucas and Ava, could be seen standing next to 26-year-old Mike Settles who was in an open casket at his funeral last week.
Holland revealed that her husband had recovered last Christmas but relapsed and met his tragic end from a heroin overdose on Wednesday, September 2, 2015.
Strangely the family from Ohio, United States, were smiling but Holland insisted she did not make the decision to publish the images on social media lightly, and wanted to show the impact of heroin abuse.
In a post on Instagram and Facebook, Holland wrote: “I’m sure this photo makes a lot of people uncomfortable it may even p**s a few people off but the main reason I took it was to show the reality of addiction.
“If you don’t choose recovery every single day this will be your only way out. No parent should have to bury their child and no child as young as ours should have to bury their parent.
“This was preventable it didn’t have to happen but one wrong choice destroyed his family. I know a lot of people may be upset I’m putting it out in the open like this, but hiding the facts is only going to keep this epidemic going. The cold hard truth is heroin kills.”
The social media went agog after she posted the photos with several users lauding her for inspiring them with the photo and the accompanying story.
One user, Tammy McLeod Ivey said: “I am a addict too your story breaks my heart it took so much courage to do this I’m so sorry for your loss but it makes me sure I want to keep my recovery may God be with you.”
Maria Palassis added: “God bless you for having the courage to declare this war on heroin. Rest in peace, Mike.”
I’m sure this photo makes a lot of people uncomfortable it may even piss a few people off but the main reason I took it…
Posted by Eva Holland on Thursday, September 10, 2015
