SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A Scottsdale family that should be planning their 17-year-old son's graduation party is instead planning his funeral. They are still horrified and in shock after their son died over the weekend after taking a pill they said was laced with fentanyl.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Familia llora a un adolescente de Scottsdale que murió después de tomar una pastilla con fentanilo
Now, they are sharing their painful story in hopes of raising awareness about the prevalence of fentanyl and the dangers just one single pill can pose. They also want justice for their son and the person who sold him the pills to face charges.
'He loved people'
Vanessa and Gustavo Ayala of Scottsdale have five children and an incredibly tight-knit family. Noah Ayala was their 17-year-old middle child who they described as a goofball with a big heart who loved sports and excelled in school.
"He was just a positive kid. He loved people. He would often have me stop when he saw a homeless person on the corner and want me to give them money," said Vanessa Ayala, Noah's mother.
Noah had a passion for sports, rooting for his favorite teams the Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Lakers. In addition to playing football, he also shared his talent by coaching youth athletes, something he got from his father.
"One of the things that I looked forward to was when he had his family that we could coach his kids together," Gustavo said.
Noah transferred from Saguaro High School to Desert Mountain High School this year so he could graduate with his closest friends. He had plans to continue his schooling at Scottsdale Community College to stay close to his family and then go on to pursue his dream of becoming a biochemist.
But his family's world came crashing down last weekend.
'It only took once'
Gustavo and Vanessa, along with Noah's younger siblings, were out of town last weekend for a family celebration. Noah stayed home with his older sister and brother.
He had his first day of his first official job on Saturday.
"He had just started a job and was scheduled to go in for his second day on Sunday," said Gustavo Ayala, Noah's father.
On Saturday, after finishing his first day, his parents say social media messages reveal what happened. They said he messaged a friend looking for Percocet. A friend sold pills to him and allegedly instructed him to take two.
The next morning, when his brother went to wake him up ahead of his second day at work, he was found in his room unresponsive.
"It's still a shock for us. We don't believe it's real," Gustavo said.
Scottsdale police confirmed to 12News they've launched a death investigation.
The Ayala Family wants justice for Noah and believes the person who sold him the pills that led to his death should be criminally charged.
"He's living out right now free doing whatever he wants and I currently lost a brother because of that," said Natalia Ayala, Noah's sister.
Noah's family is sharing their painful story with the hopes of advocating for change. They said they thought they had done everything right. They talked to their kids about the dangers of drugs. But they say more needs to be done.
In addition to pushing for harsher penalties for those who deal drugs that lead to death, they want schools and communities to make Narcan and drug testing kits readily available.
"We want to spread awareness that this could happen to anyone," Vanessa said. "Our son was a good kid. This was his first time that we know of and it only took once."
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Noah's family with funeral costs. You can find a link to donate here.
Noah's life honored at vigil
In his 17 short years, Noah impacted many lives. That was made clear during a vigil Wednesday night at New Covenant Lutheran Church in Scottsdale.
Hundreds of people packed into the church to remember Noah and to grieve together.
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