Four children under the age of 5 died of overdoses in Baltimore in 2023 – the smallest and the least unsuspecting victims of an epidemic that remains unprecedented in America’s major cities.
Fifteen people have died since 2020. Fentanyl was involved in all but two cases, according to a Banner analysis of autopsy data from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Among the young victims of the epidemic is Journey Sharp, a two-and-a-half-year-old girl who was found dead on January 15, 2023, in the West Baltimore apartment where she lived with her mother.
An autopsy found several types of fentanyl in her body and determined that she had been “exposed to illegal drugs.”
Journey loved Baby Shark. The catchy tune about a family of friendly sharks was practically the toddler’s theme song. She could sing every word. She danced whenever she heard it.
At her funeral, two giant Baby Shark balloons floated just feet above the tiny white coffin where she lay in a light blue dress, her hair braided into pigtails.
Members of Journey’s family are still seeking justice for her death, which authorities believe a murder. The investigation is still open.
Journey’s grandmother and aunt believe that Journey’s mother – their daughter and sister – is responsible for her death.
“I think (Journey’s mother) blames God for Journey’s death, but the reality is she is responsible,” said Jennifer Stafford, Journey’s grandmother.
She and Rachell Portilla, Journey’s aunt, believe Journey’s mother left drugs in a place where Journey could get them.
In May, The Banner and The New York Times reported that nearly 6,000 people had died from overdoses in the past six years, the worst overdose crisis ever seen in a major American city. The crisis has now claimed the lives of some of Baltimore’s youngest residents.
An analysis of autopsy data by Banner found that the number of children under 5 in Baltimore who have died from opioid overdoses has increased over the years. the last four years.
Overdose deaths among children under 5 are on the rise in Baltimore City
Compared to other counties in Maryland, the city of Baltimore has recorded the highest proportion of these deaths since 2020.
Minors who die from overdoses generally fall into two groups: teenagers who experiment with recreational drugs and young children who accidentally consume them, said Brian Schultz, pediatric emergency physician at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.
After the four children under the age of five who died in Baltimore in 2023, the second youngest overdose victim was 17 years old.
The danger is especially great for the youngest children, who tend to “grab everything and put it in their mouths,” Schultz said. If even a “very small amount” touches a child’s hand and then it touches their mouth, “that’s all it takes.”
Experts point to the increasing spread of fentanyl in medications as a reason for the increase in overdose deaths among children in Baltimore and across the country.
Before 2020, no child age 5 or younger in Baltimore City had ever overdosed on fentanyl. Since then, 13 of the 15 overdoses have involved fentanyl.
The number of fentanyl deaths among children under five in Baltimore City has skyrocketed since 2020
Previously, no child aged five or younger in Baltimore City had ever overdosed on fentanyl.
This number could be higher because Fentanyl is so strong. Some autopsies, Schultz another opioid may be listed as the cause of death, even if the victim died from a small amount of fentanyl also present.
The number of overdoses among young people has increased dramatically, although drug use among young people down, said Dr. Stephen Sandelich, a pediatric emergency physician at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital. His The research focuses on adolescent substance use and the impact on mental health. He said fentanyl is the probable reason for the increase in death rates.
“This is a sign that this problem is affecting children (of all ages),” said Dr. Christopher Gaw, a pediatric emergency physician at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
These children, he said, are “unintended victims of the opioid epidemic.”
Gaw led a national study that examined 731 fatal poisonings among young children that occurred in 40 states between 2005 and 2018. His team found that opioids are now the leading cause of fatal poisonings in the country.
In Maryland, the number of deaths among teenagers ages 13 to 17 has increased from four in 2014 to 19 in 2023.
The only way to prevent overdoses in children is to curb opioid addiction through community-wide harm reduction strategies, Gaw said. This can range from initiatives that safe storage of substances, maintaining a larger supply of naloxone and providing links to medication-assisted treatment.
Journey’s case, like many others, is complicated.
Journey’s mother has long struggled with heroin addiction, Portilla said. Journey’s father is Serving a prison sentence for Attack.
In the months before the toddler’s death, Portilla noticed “dark circles” around her sister’s eyes, evidence, She thinks about the stress of being a single mother struggling with an addiction, worked Full time as a delivery driver.
When asked whether cases of negligence would ever be considered homicide, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner stated that this would depend on the opinion and discretion of the medical examiner.
A spokesman for the Baltimore District Attorney’s Office declined to comment on the ongoing investigation into Journey’s death.
Neither Portilla nor Stafford have spoken to Journey’s mother since the funeral, although they have seen her Walking through West Baltimore. She still has dark circles around her eyes, they say.
Journey’s mother could not be reached for comment.
To keep Journey’s memory alive, Portilla got a tattoo on her left arm of a cartoon-style baby shark with Journey’s name engraved above the head. She and Stafford have vowed to release baby shark balloons every year on her birthday.
Portilla also placed Journey’s ashes in two heart-shaped necklaces – one for each of Journey’s parents.
But The necklaces still lie untouched in Stafford’s bedroom.
