Stephen's story: 'He might be here today if he would have had a safer supply'

Brenda and Richard Gaunt's first child, Stephen, was an active and inquisitive toddler, prone to follow his curiosity quite literally wherever it led him.

"He'd run out the door and I'd have to chase him down in my underwear," his father recalled, with a chuckle.

Stephen was born in Calgary and his family moved to Winnipeg in 1986 for work, before returning to Alberta and settling in Edmonton. He was the oldest of three children.

"He was a smart kid but he was shy, self-conscious," his mother said. "He was a bit of an introverted kid and had a little anxiety, I think, growing up in school."

One of Stephen's childhood friends was a young boy with Down syndrome named Kent. While other children shied away from Kent, Stephen would invite him over to the Gaunts' house to play.  

"He accepted everybody," Richard said of his son.

"He was very a compassionate child," added Brenda.

"Right through to the end, actually," Richard said.

Stephen's end came on Feb. 26, 2023. He died alone in his apartment after consuming methamphetamine contaminated with fentanyl. He had naloxone with him, but no one to administer it. He was 36.

Stephen's parents said he had just been accepted into a treatment program that January and was willing to participate — but was told it would be 10 weeks before his space would become available. He started using again while he waited to start the process.

Stephen was one of at least 1,706 Albertans who died of opioid poisoning last year. That works out, on average, to more than four deaths each and every day in 2023, the deadliest year on record for the province.

"He knew the risks but, at that point, he had no control," Brenda said.

"He might be here today if he would have had a safer supply or supervised consumption."

"Or earlier admission," added Richard. "Or earlier diagnosis. Or better mental health care."