Chelsea Curtis

Narcotics Unit Paralegal Specialist, U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Virginia, Alexandria Office

My name is Chelsea, and I am a Narcotics Unit Paralegal Specialist with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, and a member of Silent No More. Addiction has rattled just about every family member of mine, ultimately claiming the lives of my two oldest brothers Steven and Scott. Steven passed away from a heroin overdose in 2009 and Scott passed away from an overdose attributed to a mixture of Fentanyl and a new synthetic opioid called Isotonitrazene. My stepdad passed away from cirrhosis of the liver caused by his decade’s long alcohol addiction. My birth mother has been an addict for years, falling victim to heroin, crack, and other drugs. My youngest brother has been on opiates since he was about 13 or 14 and is now 30. I want to share my story and have these uncomfortable conversations to end the stigma associated with addiction. I want to keep Steven and Scott's stories alive, and I want to be an example that your circumstances today do not warrant your path tomorrow. I want my story to spread hope to those personally battling addiction and those affected by watching their loved one’s battle addiction. Together, we can fight this.