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UWM fentanyl death, effort to save lives
A Pewaukee mother hopes her family’s heartache will help keep University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee students alive.
MILWAUKEE - A Pewaukee mother hopes her family’s heartache will help keep University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee students alive.
Logan Rachwal
The backstory:
Logan Rachwal died from fentanyl poisoning in his UWM dorm room on Valentine's Day 2021. His parents said he took what he thought was a 30mg oxycodone pill. He was 19 years old.
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When his mother, Erin Rachwal, visits a memorial at Lakefront Park in the village of Pewaukee, she feels closer to her late son.
"There’s a lot of kids who come down here, and we see people looking at his picture and image," she said.
Erin Rachwal next to plaque for her son at Lakefront Park
Mother's mission
What they're saying:
The message on that Lakefront Park plaque will soon have a much bigger audience. Starting this fall, a video about Logan's death will be required viewing at UWM for all first-year students.
"I’m just hoping that it impacts kids. It’s teaching them how to respond, look for the signs," said Rachwal.
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The Love, Logan Foundation produced and paid for the video. It’s something Rachwal pushed for for years. The message also features the story of Cade Reddington who, like Logan, died on campus from fentanyl poisoning.
Rachwal hopes the video resonates more than even the billboard campaign the family started in 2022.
"It will hopefully be one less Logan that we’ll lose. He was a great kid. He just made some bad choices," she said.
Logan Rachwal
In a statement, a UWM spokesperson told FOX6 News:
"UWM is committed to providing students with evidence-based education around alcohol and drug misuse, which is central to our efforts to prevent overdose deaths. We provide mandatory online training, information on how to respond to an overdose, and harm reduction resources like free Narcan and fentanyl test strips.
"Through partnerships and campus events, students learn about substance use risks and how to help others. UWM’s assistance policy encourages students to seek help in emergencies without fear of disciplinary action.
"The information shared by the Love Logan Foundation in the video is both powerful and important, and we recognize its potential value for students and families.We plan to use the video during our Fall Panther Transition Experience for new students and will explore ways to include elements of the video as part of a broader approach to student education on substance use and safety."
Watch the video
Dig deeper:
The video ends with Logan’s parents outside his dorm room – a moment that brought Rachwal to tears: "It was so hard to go down there. So hard. But we did it because we knew we needed to do it."
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Love, Logan Foundation video for students
The Love, Logan Foundation created a video for students at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. (Courtesy: Love, Logan Foundation)
The Source: FOX6 News conducted interviews and gathered statements for this story.