A HEARTBROKEN mother has recalled the tragic story of her painkiller addicted son for brand new Netflix show, Painkiller.
The poignant moment intertwines real-life with fiction as part of the streaming giant‘s new six-episode series.
Jennifer spoke of her son’s tragic passing during the opening of Netflix show Painkiller
Christopher died after developing an addiction to OxyContin
Painkiller is a drama series based on the opioid crisis in the US.
Inspired by real events, the programme has been written to be based on the real-life family and owners of the pharmaceutical company, Purdue Pharma, which sells the drug OxyContin.
Before each episode, real-life testimony from those affected by OxyContin are heard as part of a clever decision by show bosses.
Each real-life story begins by them reading a legal declaration – something that must be made clear when a fictionalised story based on real people and events is told.
Executive producer of the show Eric Newman said of this requirement to Newsweek: “At the beginning of any television show, particularly one that has elements of nonfiction, when you’re chronicling someone about whom you can’t know everything, you can’t know what they said in private, certainly not what’s in their head, you’re bound legally to do some type of disclaimer, and we really struggled with that.
“[Director] Pete Berg and I particularly had a lot of conversations with Netflix about how do we get around this. Because what we’re doing here is basically letting them off the hook right off the bat.”
In a bid to clearly express to viewers the heartbreak and tragedy surrounding the stories, members of families who have lost loved ones to OxyContin read out the disclaimer before telling their own story.
One woman, Jennifer Trejo-Adams, appears on-screen at the start of the first episode and reveals the harrowing truth behind her 32 year old son, Christopher’s death.
Wearing a T-shirt with his name sprawled across it, Jennifer says: “This program is based on real events. However, certain characters, names, incidents, locations and dialogue have been fictionalised for dramatic purposes.”
But she then adds: “What wasn’t fictionalized is that my son, at the age of 15, was prescribed OxyContin. He lived in years and years of addiction.”
With her voice breaking, Jennifer reveals the sad end to her son’s life, telling the cameras: “And at the age of 32, he died all alone in the freezing cold in a gas station parking lot. And we miss him.”
During the moment, she holds up a photo of Christopher holding a baseball bat during happier times.
Across the six-episode series, even more heartbreaking stories are heard including one 42 year old who became addicted after being put on the medication following open-heart surgery in 2007.
As another revealed her son became addicted to opioids at the tender age of 13 after a motorcross accident and later died 11 years later as a result of his addiction.
She help up a photo of Christopher playing baseball
Painkiller is a new series available on Netflix
Painkiller is streaming on Netflix.
