Megan Angelina Webbley, 31, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, September 29. Specifically, she died of an overdose, finally losing her battle with addiction. She was in Manchester, N.H., seeking treatment for her addiction. We have no clear picture of what went wrong. Megan leaves behind her mother, Dorothy Provenzano, of Boca Raton, Fla.; her father, Edwin Webbley, of Middlebury, Vt.; and her brother, Michael Henderson, of Los Angeles, Calif.; as well as many loving cousins, aunts and uncles. She also left behind four beautiful children who were collectively the light of her dark life.
Though shadowed by opiate addiction, Megan enjoyed a big smile and an infectious laugh. She loved all kinds of music, dancing and doing her makeup. Empathetic in the extreme, she was the underdog’s biggest advocate. And against all circumstances, when she could be, she was a loving, gentle and doting mother. Just last year, she spent a few hours in the pool with all four kids (the youngest has since been adopted by a loving family), and it was a rollicking, madcap outing featuring a waterslide and peals of laughter. It was at that point when she was the happiest we had seen her in years.
Megan grew up in St. Albans and Georgia, Vt., participating in dance and swimming. She proved to be an adventuresome reader and a fearless jumper off cliffs. But on July 1, 2005, she was once again at a cliff on Eagle Bay in Burlington. I was sitting at my desk on the first day of a new job, and a Vermont State Policeman called to tell me to drive to the emergency room at the University of Vermont Medical Center. I was told that she had been pushed off the cliffs and hit the rocks below … with her face. Having been rescued by a man in a kayak and EMTs, she was being stitched up, and her jaw was wired shut. They suspected a TBI, but when they prescribed her liberal doses of opiates, she lost control of her life. She would be in and out of rehab — and jail — for the next 14 years.
To editorialize, I am hoping that the Department for Children and Families rethinks its mission to be the punisher of addicted mothers, the separator of families and the arbiter of children’s futures, and instead embrace a mission of enhanced rehabilitation. We, as a state, are overwhelmed by addiction. We have almost nowhere to turn. I encourage enhanced funding for treatment in general and using DCF as a gateway for mothers with addiction to get help. Because, as one would guess, once the mother is separated from her children, desperation sets in, even with the brightest and most determined of mothers — and Megan Angelina Webbley was that bright and determined mother … with a fatal disease and a dearth of treatment options.
—Submitted by Megan’s father
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This article appears in Oct 2-8, 2019.
I’m so very sorry about your girl. She has similar traits most addicts have. Almost all of them are empaths. I lost my son John almost 4 years ago to an overdose. There are many groups on line for grieving moms. I’m so very sorry that you know qualify for those groups. I pray that God will comfort and strengthen you as you walk this long painful road of sorrow. God bless you.
Im so so sorry for your loss , Peace , Love , and light
I have known the hurt of this terrible addiction. At least 3 of friends lost loved ones to overdose and 1 in our local media lost her daughter. Something needs to be done and soon. The family has my heart felt sympathy and prayers.
So sorry for your loss:-( Praying for Gods comfort during this sorrowful time!
Sir, thank you for sharing your daughter’s story. I am actively involved in recovery myself. Your frank assessment serves your daughter’s memory well. God bless you and keep you.
So sorry for Megans passing. Thank you for sharing her story. God bless you and your family.
Thank you for sharing her story . It is so sad , these drs need to be held accountable. You are so brave I havent been able to share my son Josh Michael Killian who I lost in 2014 at the age of 25 . You give me strength.
Sending prayers and healing vibes, very well written, I worked in a treatment center for 4 1/2 sometimes heartbreaking times, but mostly very very rewarding times. I pray the world will get help from this epidemic
Such a beautiful young woman. So sorry for your loss and her battle. No person should ever have to go through that.
We have programs in New Hampshire for moms with addiction why didn’t she have help getting in to a place like odesy house in Canterbury? I’ve never had to be in a program like that as I don’t struggle with addiction but I know other mothers who have and know people who have been court ordered into that program. Dcyf in this state is more about asperating the child from the parent then finding ways to make sure they stay together. Even if children are placed with family members they forbid the parent to have contact without their say so. They hurt more families then they help. With all this federal funding why haven’t more residential family rehabs been made available?
The whole thing is messed up. If she was in treatment how did she just pass away? Was there medical complications that happened that caused her to pass away? I know many people who have had serious issues with suboxone and subutex causing serotonin syndrome which mimics overdose. These are things people should be looking into before they rush to claim pain medications. Which all come with an informational insert that list all the risks. People need to stop pointing fingers and learn about accountability. When taken correctly the risk is super low for addiction.
Prayers for the children of this horrible tragedy as well to the rest of the family and friends.