Bridgewater father loses son to heroin overdose, urges others to seek help

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. — A Bridgewater man is sharing his story of tragedy with the hope that he can save another life.

Jay Filteau recently lost his son, Jeffery, to heroin.

Jeffrey was born on October 31, 1995, just minutes after his triplet brothers. The boys were miracle children for a father who was told his paralysis would prevent him from ever having kids. A car crash had left Jay paralyzed from the waist down.

Jay told FOX25 that losing his son was the worst thing he's ever experienced.

"I would rather deal with 10 car accidents," he said.

Jay said that Jeffrey began to experiment with drugs when he became a teenager. Jay had no idea his son had been using heroin until his ex-wife called him on the morning of October 30 and told him to rush over to Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton. When Jay got to the hospital, he was told Jeffrey had died.

What haunts Jay the most is the thought that he could have prevented his son's death. The father said many of the signs were there, but he didn't see them until it was too late

"You can only do so much," Jay said. "You can only do so much and I can't be a helicopter parent, but by the same token I wish I did. There are so many things I wish I did."

Jay believes Jeffrey self-medicated to help deal with emotional issues brought on by Bipolar Disorder. He was aware of the heroin problem in Massachusetts, but he didn't realize the extent of it until it hit his own family.

"If you know someone who has a problem with heroin, have them get them help right away," Jay warned. "You might not get a second chance."

Cox Media Group