Michelle Sawyer and her husband, Micah, started Micah’s Hugs, a nonprofit the provides training in the use of Narcan, after Micah’s son died from a fenanyl overdose. Garvin Thomas reports.
The first thing you need to know about what Michelle Sawyer did one week before Christmas is what she was wearing.
Michelle had just visited the Santa Rosa elementary school where her son-in-law teaches. Michelle, who calls herself the class "Grandma" was dressed in a snowman costume to entertain the children.
While driving home, she was still wearing the costume when she witnessed a man collapse at the corner of 7th and Wilson in downtown Santa Rosa. Michelle quickly parked, reached into her glove compartment to grab a box of Narcan, and rushed to the man's side. Narcan is a drug that can reverse an opioid overdose, saving the victim.
With the help of another bystander, Michelle eventually administered eight doses of Naran before they saw a result.
"The gentleman woke up," Michelle said. "He looked at me and started smiling." She had forgotten that she was still wearing a costume. "A passerby walked by and said, 'He must think he's seeing an angel.'"
Just why Michelle was traveling with boxes of Narcan in her car is the second thing you should know about her. Her 22-year-old stepson, Micah Sawyer Jr, was the victim of a drug overdose. "In 2019, I lost my stepson to a fentanyl overdose."
Michelle and her husband, Micah Sawyer Sr., channeled their grief into action, starting Micah's Hugs, a nonprofit that distributes Narcan and trains people in its proper use. "We really want to concentrate on harm reduction and people that need help and are struggling," Micah said.
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The pair has handed out thousands of doses of Narcan and trained hundreds of people, always hoping that at least one life would be saved. They never guessed it would be one of them doing the saving.
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It is, the Sawyer's believe, the ultimate validation of what they set out to do and the ultimate tribute to their late son and stepson.
