Powerful, raw obituary sheds light on opioid addiction

Madelyn Linsenmeir's family pens head-turning obit in Burlington Free Press

By all accounts -- and even in the words of her own family members, Madelyn Linsenmeir was an addict.

But that’s not all she was.

The 30-year-old will be remembered as “a loving mother, a beloved daughter, a talented singer and a charming person -- even in the throes of addiction,” Linsenmeir’s obituary reads.

The Vermont mother who died earlier this month as a result of opioid addiction is being memorialized by her loved ones in a fearless obituary. The piece, which was published in the Burlington Free Press but has spread across the country, calls for a more open understanding of the illness that took Linsenmeir’s life.

Read more of the obit by clicking or tapping here.

"It is impossible to capture a person in an obituary, and especially someone whose adult life was largely defined by drug addiction," the obituary reads. "To some, Maddie was just a junkie---when they saw her addiction they stopped seeing her. And what a loss for them."

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