By Sharon Stone
Tri County Times-Editor
Goodrich — Just 2mg of fentanyl can kill a person and 150 lives are lost to the dangerous drug every day. Those are staggering statistics.
Devon Michael Cota of Linden was a victim of this deadly drug. At the age of 23, he died from accidental fentanyl poisoning on Feb. 7, 2021.
In their effort to prevent this heartbreaking tragedy from happening to anyone else again, Devon’s mother Jeanette Cota and his younger sister Ava Michelle Cota founded the Devon Michael Foundation.
The Devon Michael Foundation (DMF) is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit with the mission to open the conversation about the mental health and bring awareness about the fentanyl crisis. The DMF wants to support individuals in pursuing a healthy, substance-free and fulfilled life, by getting them the help they may need.
The two have created a clothing line called Identified. Jeanette said the idea and name was started with Devon, the night before he passed. “He wanted to change how people look at us, not by the color of our skin, our past mistakes, or who we love. ‘We all just need to be Identified as Humans’ he said,” Jeanette said. “That’s how the name ‘Identified’ came about.”
Jeanette and Ava knew after his passing that this was something they had to fulfill. They launched December 2021. A portion of the proceeds go to the foundation.
Jeanette and Ava Michelle Cota are hosting their inaugural Fundraising Gala at Creekside Acres Barn, 7388 S. State Road, in Goodrich on Saturday, Oct. 7. The gala will feature a night of music, education, silent auction and raising money for a cause near and dear to their hearts.
For tickets, go to devonmichaelfoundation.com.
Newton Services Foundation and JJ&A are major sponsors.
The mother-daughter duo can’t express enough the importance of educating the community on fake pills and the dangers of this synthetic opioid.
Ava’s life was changed forever after the passing of her big brother. She is an actress, dancer, and social media influencer with a footprint of over 3 million followers. Ava is most known for her lead role in Netflix’s “Tall Girl” and “Tall Girl 2.” Ava uses her platform to spread awareness for the many causes near and dear to her heart and is now fully invested in making a difference addressing the fentanyl crisis and normalizing the talk of mental health. She is co-owner of Identified Clothing, which donates 5% of its revenue to the Devon Michael Foundation.
Devon was born in Michigan on July 4, 1997. He was a very active kid growing up, playing every high school sport he could. He grew up on a lake and loved summertime with his family. He resided in California, with Ava and Jeanette since 2018. He loved California, and drives to the ocean were his favorite.
Jeanette said Devon struggled with social anxiety and was diagnosed with ADHD at 14 years old. He was put on Adderall but quickly taken off as she didn’t like the way it changed his personality. She said that Devon opened up to her in later years and said the feeling from Adderall was the catalyst to the self-medication he turned to.
She said Devon struggled on and off for years but made the choice to become clean in January 2020. He turned to the gym, basketball, family time and nature to keep his mind and body healthy but unfortunately struggling with the weight of the pandemic, he decided to buy Percocet to help him sleep. The pill was from a dealer he trusted but it turned out to be straight fentanyl (4mg) and took his life while he was at home getting ready for bed.
He was 23 years old. He was Jeanette and Ava’s everything.
Jeanette said Devon was full of life and lived it to the fullest. He made you laugh, but most of all made you feel valued and heard. “He was truly a special person and a bright light in so many people’s lives,” she said. “In such a short time, he made a big impact, and continues to after his passing. He is the wings to us all.”
Individual tickets for the Fundraising Gala are $50. Sponsoring a table for eight is $1,000. Additional donations are being accepted. For more information, go to devonmichaelfoundation.com.