Kaitlin's Story
Kaitlin's Early Years
Kaitlin Murphy was the epitome of the All-American Girl. She was smart, beautiful, funny, sweet, athletic, compassionate, educated, popular, engaging, and overall a pleasure to be around. Kaitlin’s greatest attribute was that she had a way of making those around her feel as if they were the most important people in the universe.
Kaitlin enjoyed her big family, many friends, going to school, playing sports, attending church, great relationships with her parents, new adventures, and was ready to make her mark in this world. Kaitlin was also provided with the privilege, resources, and opportunity that is common of the suburban lifestyle and certainly didn’t want for much. Her life was full and she was full of life! Kaitlin was all those great things, did so many wonderful things, loved and was loved by so many.
That was until her addiction took control of her decisions, her spirit, her will, and ultimately took her life.
Kaitlin was welcomed into this world on October 10, 1988. She was born into a loving family in Warminster, PA, to parents who were excited for a little girl after years of having a household filled with three rambunctious boys. As the youngest child of four and the only daughter, Kaitlin adored her three older brothers and thrived in the role of family princess.
As Kaitlin got older, she became a natural born shopper who learned the trade from her best friend, her mom. Kaitlin and her mom spent hours together, escaping the boys, and enjoying their girl time. Kaitlin also became interested in playing sports, including soccer at VE and for Warrington Township. She also discovered her favorite sport – basketball – which she continued to play into her teenage years both with her school teams and with Bucks County Wildcats, an AAU Program that enabled her to spend a great deal of time with her dad as they traveled around the tristate area playing in tournament after tournament. Kaitlin, although small in stature, standing just under 5’2, was an aggressive, feisty, and talented player who played far above her height limitation. Kaitlin enjoyed her high school years with her many friends, attended many parties, and graduated from Central Bucks South High School, Class of 2007, before going on to attend Penn State University.
Kaitlin's Struggle With Addiction
And then addiction entered Kaitlin’s world…and with the addiction came the pain, misery, devastation, and heartbreak that her addiction caused, not only to Kaitlin, but also to everyone who loved and cared for her.
After a few years of treatment, relapses, support, and continuous battling against addiction, Kaitlin lost her fight with addiction when she unknowingly injected a fatal hot shot of heroin. The hot shot contained a potency 1,500 times stronger than the normal potency of a hit of heroin. Ultimately, the family’s worst fear was realized on Friday, May 18, 2012, and they gathered at Doylestown Hospital where Kaitlin was pronounced brain dead as a result of a heroin overdose.
Although she still had some organ function, the doctors were not hopeful that she would wake up, and in the unlikely event that she did, that she would have a self-sustaining life. While dealing with this heart-wrenching tragedy, her family made the decision to donate her organs and tissues, which turned her death into life for multiple people waiting for transplants.
Kaitlin was kept on life support for three days, and on Monday, May 21, 2012, Kaitlin, with her family by her side, was removed from life support and released from this world to be received by the Lord.
Turning Family Tragedy Into Community Change
We have spent six years grieving the loss of our beautiful daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, and friend; and now we are ready to FIGHT back against addiction! And every time we see a butterfly, we are reminded that Kaitlin is with us, smiling down on us, and is so proud of the battle we’re FIGHTING in her memory.
