Sorry you're going through this. Those poor kids. Glad they have you to take care of them.

Jewels you are so amazing, to come through for the kids like this. Bless you.

I am so sorry for your family. The opiod epidemic really is just that, an epidemic. I would not be surprised if the problems started with either Jessica or your DB having a legitimate injury or surgery which required pain medication. And then Jessica most likely had access to narcotics while at her nursing job. I am so thankful you are there for those children. I pray that your brother gets the help he needs.

Heroin is a killer. Hope your brother gets the help he needs and he has the strength to turn his life around. Your family is going through such a difficult time and I hope the children receive all the support they will need.

Oh, jewels, I'm so glad you have intervened and are taking care of these kids. I sincerely hope your db will be able to get the help he needs to kick his heroin habit (or whatever drug he is using).

Heroin seems to be the real problem these days from what I'm hearing from my DD (an ER RN) and some MD friends. There are task forces being formed in our community to work on the problems as kids are getting more and more access to the drugs because it's cheap. It's being cut with other stuff that's killing people (fentanyl mostly). Colleges are also having problems. Keep your eyes on your kids and hold them close!

I would be planning how to raise these children until they are adults. Can your family apply for aid to help you do it? Recovery from heroin addiction is about 20% -- and that stat comes from people who received *addiction treatment*.

This makes me so sad...I hate that this is happening all around our country. Lucky the kids have you. God bless you!!

These poor children have lost two important women in their lives within a few months. I applaud you for taking responsibility for the kids and hope that they're getting help with those losses and the irresponsibility of their dad. I expect that expert therapy now will help prevent the tragedy of continuing to them as they grow. What a wonderful aunt you are.

Oh Jewels! You are to be commended. I hope the boys aren't too badly damaged from the pain and other things they've witnessed in their short lives.

My prayers for you as you deal with this fall out.

Wow. You are a terrific sister and aunt. I hope your brother gets off everything he's abusing and straightens out, for his kids' sake and his and everyone else's, too. What a shame about his GF.

Those poor kids and you too with a total disruption of your life! You don't have little ones at home still do you? I truly home that your brother finds the will to get clean and can get back on track.

Jewels, not sure what options your schools have in the area.

However, in our schools your nephew and little sibling would qualify as McKinney Vento, and therefore would qualify for some financial and health assistance.

http://www.naehcy.org/educational-resources/m-v

They are lucky to have a supportive extended family. It always amazes me the way some kids just excel no mater their home life. We see more kids that don't, but those little troopers are amazing humans.

What a sad story. God bless you for what you are doing for those kids. I really hope your brother can pull himself together. That damn drug seems to have terrifying power. You have my prayers for all involved.

The recovery rate for addicts may be 20%, but it's not zero. Keep hoping for your brother. Someone makes up the portion that recovers.

Those kids--and their father--are so lucky to have you. We hear about this situation more and more; it's terrifying. Best of luck to all of you.

Thanks for being a good aunt.

I hope you take some steps to make your new relationship more 'legal'. My brother and his wife took on an extended family member's child some time back. The little girl got sick and they had to pay some bills out of pocket. They finally decided to go before a judge to get legal guardianship so she could be placed on my brother's insurance.

HOPE for the best. PLAN for the long haul -- with the children and with your brother. It's heart wrenching, with only two outcomes: He can get clean or he can die. Is there treatment for him? Are there support groups near you for the families of addicts?

Bless you for taking the children in. And as Chisue said you might have to plan for the long haul. I have a friend raising her brother's children.

Thank you for caring for these sweet kids. Hopefully we can stop the easy accessibility of opium drugs. I'm truly sad for every soul who is caught in addiction.

Steve Chapman has a column in today's Chicago Tribune about a program saving lives. King County, Washington is introducing safe injection facilities where drug users can use drugs in clean conditions -- preventing overdoses and the illnesses spread by shared needles. Users ready to go straight can get help finding treatment.

This is a first in the US, but there are similar centers in 100 cities around the world, according to the Drug Policy Alliance.

Insite is the name of a company operating in Vancouver, Canada. Three million self-injections have taken place there and 5000 overdoses have been reversed. They've had zero deaths. There has been no increase in drug trafficking or crime in the area.

(My comments: These addicts' kids are not watching their parents shoot up or die in front of them, like Jewel's brother's kids. Municipal governments are not tied up in round robins of arresting or rescuing addicts.)

In 2015, 33,000 deaths by overdose were reported in the US. This is three times the number from 2002. While we'd prefer that addicts get clean, many don't want to/fail at it. Those who use in these safe settings may eventually decide to take the help offered to get clean. Maybe they'd live long enough to decide to take the help that's right in front of them at the centers.

The column doesn't say where the heroin comes from at these sites. I'd assumed it is provided in controlled quality and quantity, but then I wondered why Insite needed to rescue 5000 people who had overdosed.

Thanks to everyone for the well wishes and prayers. My nephew is such a trooper. I finally let him go to his house this morning to pick out some stuff he wanted to bring over here and he saw his dad for the first time in almost a week. My nephew handled it very well and then ran into school like an 11 year old with no cares. I did email his teacher the other day and she is getting in touch with the school counselors. She said he has been doing really well, but doesn't want him to keep it all bottled up. My brother texted me last night and asked for my help in cleaning his house. I had offered earlier in the week, but just met indifference over it. We will see if he will follow through with it. Jessica's service is this Saturday and I will be taking my nephew to it. I'm sure it will be a rough day.

Jewel -- You're being such a good sister and aunt. I'm worried that your good heart makes you vulnerable to manipulation. Can you arrange to meet with a support group before you see your brother again? I think you will benefit by hearing what other families of addicts have experienced. Supporting without enabling is *hard*.

An addict has One Priority: Money to buy drugs. I can easily think that your brother has asked you to help clean his house as a ruse. It's more likely that he wants to show you Good Brother so you will help feed his habit. Do not give him money. Do not buy him anything but food. Do not give him access to anything he could trade for money or drugs.

I would expect your nephew to 'fall apart' once it is safe for him to stop being the adult of the family. He may act out. He may become depressed. The 'brave front' actually needs to crumble so he can be a kid. A support group can help you help him.

I am in complete agreement with Chisue's post. Those are my thoughts also, but I was unable to state them as well as she did.

Thanks Chisue....I haven't given my brother any money and only brought him two meals. He did ask to move into our house and I had to tell me "no". We had a little heated discussion about the kids the other day, but he did agree to let me keep them through the school year. The memorial service was yesterday and my db was very late. It was a very nice service though and her family was happy to see the kids.