Originally published on January 15, 2021 11:33 am
After their son died, Jackie and Robert Watson found a stack of popsicle sticks in his Milwaukee apartment. He d written an affirmation on each one. I am a fighter. Don t sweat the small stuff. My kids love me.
Brandon Cullins, 31, had been working with a drug counselor, who advised him to write the messages to himself.
Picking up the popsicle sticks, the Watsons were able to see how hard their son wanted to kick his battle with cocaine. But they also wondered why he hadn t asked them for help. We saw him losing weight and acting differently and we would approach him and talk to him about it and it was always a denial, said Jackie Watson.