Coleen Sheran Singer’s obituary, published by the Bangor Daily News this week, is a moving and politically charged account of the life of one woman addicted to heroin.
Singer, formerly Coleen Clark, was 32 when she fatally overdosed Christmas morning.
Her ex-husband Brent Singer wrote the obituary, noting, “She was a victim of herself, of LePage’s politics, of our society’s continuing ignorance and indifference to mental illness, and of our society’s asinine approach to drug addiction.”
He said that Singer likely would have qualified for MaineCare, subsidized health insurance, if the state had expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
The obituary has been read more than 100,000 times. As of 1 p.m. today, her obituary had 43 written condolences, 9,300 likes on Facebook and hundreds of tweets, the vast majority of them appearing to be positive. We include just some of the reaction here.
The most searing obituary you’ll ever read. Says Medicaid expansion would likely have saved this young woman’s life. http://t.co/OVdSCVvaaq — Galen Benshoof (@benshoof) July 31, 2015
Obit gets real very quickly. Very sad. http://t.co/1gr2Ta69Y4 — Melanie Renzulli (@melanierenzulli) July 31, 2015
A tragic obituary and razor-sharp summary of the hell of opiates in modern America. RIP Coleen Sheran Singer http://t.co/c1xM6e6ydc — Jacob Ward (@_jacobward_) July 31, 2015
A devastating and honest obituary of a woman who struggled on the streets. Coleen Sheran Singer http://t.co/snoX2KHvUh via @bangordailynews — Erica Meltzer (@meltzere) July 31, 2015
Please read this anonymous, nuanced, tour de force obituary http://t.co/p7M9qKVytk — Summer Brennan (@summerbrennan) July 31, 2015
Death by indifference to mental illness: A scathing, utterly extraordinary obit. http://t.co/BSM66Y7pEw via @stevesilberman #addiction — André Picard (@picardonhealth) July 30, 2015
WHOA…This was in the Bangor Daily News..so very sad that her life ended this way, but damn…whoever wrote this… http://t.co/J06nLGyKpd — Sandy McGarry (@McGarrySandy) July 30, 2015
I didn’t know this woman, but her obituary is a powerful and honest tribute to both the positive and negative… http://t.co/PVkoipwCPN — KellyMartinBroderick (@artsykelly) July 30, 2015
I suspect this is the best single piece of writing you will read all day. http://t.co/4jItrW5SLH via @bangordailynews — Sam Thielman (@samthielman) July 30, 2015
Everyone should read this. Rest in peace Coleen, I didn’t not know you, but your story should be heard. http://t.co/NIEhyTYjk1 — Mike Martin (@touchtanks) July 30, 2015
Just WOW. Coleen Sheran Singer http://t.co/kQRj9Tw6ju via @bangordailynews — Julia Dinsmore (@juliad444) July 30, 2015
Try not to tear up. RT @stevesilberman: If you missed it: A scathing, utterly extraordinary obit. http://t.co/5V4awCwwMf … — maryannetalbott (@maryannetalbott) July 31, 2015
Until we have these raw, honest, difficult conversations about mental health and addiction issues, we can’t make… http://t.co/1SR9DyobH4 — Real Life Parenting (@RealLifeParent2) July 31, 2015
Alex Steed: “Just this week, the trend toward obituaries honest about addiction continued with the publication of Coleen…
Posted by The Bangor Daily News on Thursday, July 30, 2015
“I did it for Coleen, because I thought she deserved to have an obituary.” http://t.co/oykw62uTki pic.twitter.com/PDy0h6BJHr
— Boston.com (@BostonDotCom) July 31, 2015
all the things that go into making a life & a death… this is the best obituary i’ve ever read (all the feels warning) http://t.co/C1ueGIxEPx — courteneyh (@courteneyh) July 31, 2015
RIP, Coleen Sheran Singer. The obit for the young opiate addict is quickly going viral (and will make you tear up.) http://t.co/jfa2YUm43B
— MetroBoston (@MetroBOS) July 31, 2015
