Grafton memorialized in Times Square
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(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO | NATALIE GORRELL) A photo of former Graham High School student Harley Grafton was shown around 6 p.m. local time Saturday , Jan. 28, at Times Square in New York City. The photo appeared as part of a two-hour fentanyl awareness campaign sponsored by The Never Alone Nick Rucker Foundation. Grafton died of fentanyl poisoning March 6, 2021. -
(FILE PHOTO | THE GRAHAM LEADER) The Stephenville Honeybees soccer team gave its support to the Lady Blues in their first match following the death of Harley Grafton. When the teams met March 12, 2022 in Stephenville, the Honeybees decorated the visitor’s side in purple ribbons, the teams said a prayer together before the match and played with 10 players for 11 minutes, which was Grafton’s number on the soccer team. The Lady Blues and Grafton’s family were presented flowers before the match.
Former Graham High School student Harley Grafton’s picture was shown in Times Square in New York City Saturday. Grafton’s photo was part of a project from The Never Alone Nick Rucker Foundation, a nonprofit organization that spreads awareness of mental health and the dangers of the drug fentanyl.
Grafton’s photo appeared in the popular New York City intersection made up of 42nd Street, Seventh Ave. and Broadway Ave. around 6 p.m. local time. Grafton was a sophomore at GHS and a member of the Lady Blues soccer team when she passed away on March 6, 2021.
“It’s an honor,” Grafton’s grandmother Natalie Gorrell said. “She wanted to go places. She wanted to go be a star in Barcelona and it’s like this expounds way more than that, because it’s actually saving lives and she is still known. So it’s a great honor and I can think of no other way to honor her name and who she was and to keep her memory alive.”
Along with a photo of Grafton, a message read “In loving memory of all those teens murdered by fentanyl. Fentanyl changes everything.” and “I was supposed to learn from my mistakes. Not Die. Harley Rose, Forever 16.”
The Never Alone Nick Rucker Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit organization based out of Owensboro, Ky. The foundation was made to memorialize 24-year-old Nick Rucker who died on April 23, 2021.
Grafton, like Rucker, died of accidental fentanyl poisoning. According to its website, neveralonenick.org, The Never Alone Nick Rucker Foundation is an advocacy group whose mission is to warn the public against the dangers of fentanyl, to end stigma and shame and to work to change laws related to “drug-induced homicide.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 107,622 people in the United States died of drug overdoses and drug poisonings in 2021. This was an increase of nearly 15% from the 93,655 deaths estimated in 2020. In 2021, 71,238 of those deaths were attributed to synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl. This is up from an estimated 57,834 deaths reported, according to a May 11, 2022 release.
Since Grafton’s death, Gorrell said she has dedicated her time to preventing what happened to her granddaughter from happening to others.
“We try to reach other kids, especially,” she said. “We do different anniversary dates, ‘angelversary’ dates. We try to make sure we incorporate things specifically for her and invite anybody and everybody to participate. We try to make sure everybody is aware of the dangers of fentanyl and different ways it’s brought in and different ways to see it’s not just in illegal drugs.”
Gorrell said her message to others is clear.
“Know your friends, know your neighbors. Make sure everything you take comes from an actual prescription bottle for you and nobody else,” she said. “Talk to your child, explain to them. I would recommend anybody and everybody having (Narcan). It shoots into the person that’s unconscious and immediately will start their heartbeat back and, nine times out of ten, will actually save their life.”
For more information on The Never Alone Nick Rucker Foundation, visit neveralonenick.org.
