Fernando Moreno was constantly surrounded by family and friends throughout his young life. He had a special close relationship with his brother-in-law, who was killed in 2003 – a tragedy in Fernando’s life that led him into dark times. The death of Fernando’s cousin in 2010, who he was also close with, only hurt Fernando more.

Losing two of his best friends put Fernando into “depression mode,” as he calls it, and led to his addiction. He started doing drugs with his friends as a social activity, but he soon became dependent on them.

Born and raised in Richmond, CA, Fernando lived with his mom his entire life until she passed away of cancer in 2014. He had instantly lost everything he had ever known, and decided to move to Arizona to live with his dad, who had been absent through his teen years. His dad gave him the support he needed for the next two years, but Fernando continued his addiction.