Daly City mother of overdose victim continues the fight to end drug-related deaths

The 36-year resident of Daly City has long advocated for greater public awareness around drug use, especially the dangers of fentanyl, a synthetic painkiller up to 100 times more potent than morphine. 

McNamara is not a medical professional and has never used the substance or any other drug for that matter. But for years now, she’s shared her story in hopes of preventing another drug-related death. 

On March 18, 2017, the mother of four held her son Bobby Corona Gonzaba in her arms as he died of a fentanyl overdose in her Daly City home. She described her son as “an awesome guy” who loved life and was willing to risk his safety for others. 

So when she found her son gasping for air, as if his brain forgot how to breathe, she thought he must have been hiding the fact that he was dying from lung cancer. His doctor would later say it was a severe asthma attack. 

But unable to understand the wording on Gonzaba’s autopsy report, McNamara reached out to the Coroner’s Office that notified her that Gonzaba’s death was caused by an acute fentanyl overdose. His doctor had prescribed the medication despite warnings the drug could cause severe side effects to people with breathing problems or asthma, McNamara said. 

She would go on to help close that practice after submitting her information to the District Attorney’s Office. 

“It was hard and this is brutal,” McNamara said. “This is my story but there’s millions of other people whose stories are just as bad as mine.” 

National and local spikes 

As with national rates, drug-related deaths have spiked in the county from 47 deaths related to drugs or alcohol in 2016 to nearly 100 deaths in 2019, according to annual San Mateo County Coroner’s Office reports. And experts say the pandemic has only exacerbated the problem by forcing people into isolation and increasing stress. 

While methamphetamine dominates the landscape of drug use in the county, accounting for 28% of overdose deaths, fentanyl is on the rise. The synthetic opioid is the main cause of a 54% increase in opioid deaths nationwide, said Mary Fullerton, supervisor of San Mateo County’s Integrated Medication Assisted Treatment team during a presentation to the San Mateo Medical Center Board of Directors in June. 

Eager to draw more attention to the crisis, McNamara hosted the first Drug Overdose Awareness Motorcycle Run. Starting at Red’s Java House in San Francisco, the parade of supporters and advocates aimed to draw attention to the growing use of narcotics by riding to Pacifica’s Moose Lodge. 

In attendance was David Canepa, president of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, who lauded McNamara for her work and the vulnerability she brings to it.  

“I’m uplifted by people such as Bonnie who through issues such as tragedy are able to step up and take action and bring awareness to an issue people really don’t want to talk about,” Canepa said. 

Local lawsuits 

The county has launched its own fight against pushers of prescription medication known to cause severe addiction.

Early this August, the county filed a lawsuit against McKinsey & Company alleging the consulting firm helped Purdue Pharma, a prescription drug company, push opioid sales while aware of the risks the substances posed to the public. The lawsuit further claims the firm helped suppress negative press from families of overdose victims, protecting the medical company’s public image. 

Purdue Pharma and other opioid distributors and manufactures have also been the subject of county lawsuits filed in 2018 and 2019 which are still pending in federal courts in Ohio. Through each legal action, officials are seeking to recover some of the millions of dollars the county has spent while addressing the opioid epidemic. 

“The county clearly recognizes this is an issue that affects everyone whether you’re someone with low income or high income. It knows no economic boundaries,” Canepa said. “When you lean in and sue a company such as McKinsey, that says something.”  

Looking for solutions 

McNamara said she understands why the county would go after corporations linked to the creation, distribution and marketing of opioids. The industry makes billions of dollars a year from prescription medications. 

But at the root of her mission is early education, open conversations and robust, stigma-free care. 

She encouraged every parent, guardian and school community to discuss the dangers of drug use, recognizing how difficult and scary the subject can be. If pain medication is necessary, she said doctors should responsibly guide families by initially recommending less addictive prescriptions before providing greater strength pills. 

At the local government level, she envisions agencies developing public service announcements and campaigns with just as much urgency to save lives from drugs as from COVID-19. And when someone does fall into addiction, she believes agencies should lead with comprehensive medical and psychological programming rather than jail time. 

“People should be treated with dignity and respect,” McNamara said. 

Dispelling the stigma around drug abuse is also vital, she said, noting the face of drug overdose has changed over the years. 

McNamara could talk for hours about the children and young adults who’ve died while trying party drugs like ecstasy or prescriptions like Xanax and Adderall. People have shared stories of finding their elderly parents near death after mixing pain medication. 

But no one deserves to suffer from addiction or drug use regardless of their background and McNamara is determined to continue her work until she sees progress. 

“Would I rather not do this stuff? Of course,” McNamara said. “But it’s only until I see the numbers drop and things change that I’ll stop, but right now I can’t stop and I won’t stop.” 

sierra@smdailyjournal.com 

(650) 344-5200 ext. 106