After losing her oldest son to an overdose six years ago, Kate Kimbel of Narberth formed a supportive and empathetic bond with one of his friends, who also survived an overdose, writes Theo Fountain for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Kimbel has known Mike Swift for over a decade, as he was a childhood friend of her son. On June 11, 2016, he suffered a stroke and kidney failure from a heroin overdose, leading to the amputation of his leg below the knee.
Now, the mother and friend spend many days remembering Philip, whom Swift nicknamed Philistine. Though they knew different sides of him, their shared love of him united them
At the first memorial, Swift asked Kimbel if she resented that he had survived and her son did not.
“I was so honored that you felt comfortable to ask,” Kimbel told Swift.
That first conversation grew into an honest friendship that has lasted years.
Kimbel also found a calling in restorative justice. After forgiving the man who sold her son fentanyl, she wants to help others heal through forgiveness.
“It’s hard to imagine, but this loss has really expanded my life,” said Kimbel.
Read more about the Narberth pair and how they turned grief into an unlikely friendship in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
