Cheryl A. Juaire, who lost two sons to opioid overdoses, was recently honored as the first recipient in 2025 of MiraVista Behavioral Health Center’s You-Have-Our AdMIRAtion Award for her work to connect parents with similar losses and highlight the impact of substance use disorder on both families and communities.
The efforts of the Eastern Massachusetts mother include a new specialty license plate with the words “Overdose Awareness” and the logo of her nonprofit, Team Sharing Inc.
“Through nothing less than a Herculean effort, Cheryl has turned her grief into action,” said Kimberley Lee, MiraVista Chief of Creative Strategy and Development. “Her advocacy work aligns with MiraVista’s commitment to provide both treatment for individuals with a substance use disorder as well as understanding of the disorder as a medical condition so communities will support and not judge individuals in need of treatment.”
The plate’s debut expected by summer comes after Team Sharing secured a grant last year to help cover the $40 pre-order fee and that brought in more than the 750 pre-orders the state Registry of Motor Vehicles requires to begin production of a specialty plate. A portion of the fee benefits the nonprofit.
“We hope It will save lives,” said Juaire who sees the specialty plate as a confirmation that the lives “mattered” of all those lost to a drug overdose.
Drug overdoses are a leading cause of injury death among adults in this country with most recent data showing 107,941 overdose deaths in 2022 or more than 32 deaths per 100,000 compared to 8.9 deaths per 100,000 people in 2003. More than three-quarters of these overall deaths involve an opioid.
Juaire’s vision for the specialty plate was shared by her son, Sean Merrill, who overdosed three months after his 43rd birthday on March 15, 2021. The two had discussed the specialty plate earlier in the year as a birthday present and Juaire remained committed to securing through her nonprofit established in 2017 enough pre-orders for it to be produced.
She sees the plate promoting overdose awareness as “educational.”
“We are hoping it will strike up a conversation because anyone who has a plate has been affected or knows someone who has been affected,” Juaire said. “We hope to be able to share information, resources, support. We hope that it will end the stigma, and I hope everyone in Massachusetts will have one on their vehicles.”
It was her younger son Corey Merrill’s death in 2011 that led Juaire to understand that more than “tough love” is needed for recovery and that relapse with substance use disorder is not uncommon. It also led her to found Team Sharing, described on its website for those “who have experienced the loss of their child through substance passing,” so no parent, as she initially did, will find themselves alone in this situation.
“Back in the early 2000’s when Corey was using, I was completely unaware of the disease of addiction and thought Corey was just being a rebellious teenager trying drugs, as many of us did in school,” Juaire said. “He died alone in a halfway house because he couldn’t just stop. And so, I was forced to learn about the disease, and I had to learn to forgive myself for knowing now what I didn’t know then.”
She said her older son Sean “spiraled downhill” after his brother Corey’s death but then “found recovery and did great for about five years.”
“Unfortunately, he never dealt with the pain of using with/losing his brother,” Juaire said. “His guilt was that he was the older brother and should have taken care of his younger one.”
She said completing the “mission” of a specialty plate gives her comfort.
“I made it my mission that I was going to do this for Sean,” Juaire said. “It took me 3 1/2 years to complete this goal but he never did say for which birthday. This March 15, his heavenly birthday, I am going to celebrate and say: ‘We did it, Sean!’ And now my heart can rest.”
For more information on the specialty plate, contact Juaire at cheryl@teamsharinginc.org. To order when issued visit: https://www.mass.gov/how-to/order-a-special-license-plate-to-support-a-favorite-cause.
MiraVista Behavioral Health Center, which treats mental and behavioral health conditions in adults and children 13 through 17, created its admiration award to honor organizations and individuals that help foster connectedness within communities.
Previous recipients of the award include William N. DeBerry Elementary School in Springfield; Sober Chef owner Chris Bland and Hubbard Memorial Library in Ludlow.
Interested in suggesting an organization or individual for the award? Write up a short description of why they should be recognized, include your phone contact, and contact information for the nominee and email the nomination to Kim Lee at klee@miravistabhc.care.
For more information on MiraVista, visit: https://www.miravistabhc.care/. For more statistical information on drug overdoses visit: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/drug-overdoses.htm.
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MiraVista Behavioral Health Center opened in April of 2021 in Holyoke, Mass. MiraVista offers inpatient psychiatric care services for both adults and adolescents, as well as an array of outpatient addiction treatment programs.
MiraVista cares for thousands of individuals from across New England and is a leading provider of mental health and addiction treatment services, dedicated to empowering individuals to overcome challenges and achieve their full potential. With a commitment to excellence and compassion, MiraVista offers a comprehensive range of evidence-based treatment programs tailored to meet the unique needs of each patient. Through personalized care and support, MiraVista inspires hope and healing, helping individuals reclaim their lives and embrace a brighter future.