America's opioid crisis means many grandparents are now raising their grandchildren
Kathleen Johnson said her late son Zak didn’t just walk.
His stride was so distinctive, people used to call him Tigger.
“When he walked, everyone knew him,” she said.
Zak was fun, compassionate, and kind, his mom said, racking up friends in activities like the local 4-H Club and wrestling. He lived large.
But like the more than 19 million people dealing with a substance abuse issue across the country, Zak was addicted to drugs. He got hooked after high school. Run-ins with the law followed.