“It’s for the people that we’ve lost,” she said. “It says ‘we sit in our grief.'”

Ryder, of Webster City, is an advocate for overdose awareness. Her son, Dalton, was just 19 years old when he died from an accidental opioid overdose in 2016. He had run out of his prescription of hydrocodone for a back injury, and he reached out to someone he knew to buy a pill to ease the pain.

He even looked for a photo of a hydrocodone pill online so he could verify that’s what he was about to take, but instead he had been sold a counterfeit pill with a lethal dose of fentanyl mixed into it.

Now, instead of sitting in her grief alone, Ryder spends her time connecting with others who have lost loved ones to overdose and spreading awareness. On Thursday, Ryder, along with others, will share their family’s story at Community and Family Resources’ Overdose Awareness Day at City Square Park in Fort Dodge.

“This event is important to everyone,” said Ryder. “People should know what to look for as far as signs or an overdose, the things that impact families such as loss of a loved one, the fight to help a person suffering from addiction, and the support needed for those in recovery and the resources of where help can be found.”

To many, Ryder is known for her purple chair that she brings to events. The oak chair isn’t light, and though it wasn’t intentional, it’s very appropriate.

“It just shows me how heavy that grief is sometimes,” said Ryder. “Each year I rip open the wound, so to speak, of my loss. I don’t do this for attention, I do this to help others and to attempt to prevent another family from knowing this pain. I do this to touch the lives of others who maybe suffer in silence. I have been blessed with some amazing people who help me get through the tough days and help me understand addiction and loss.”

Thursday’s Overdose Awareness Day event is scheduled for 5-7 p.m. at the City Square in Fort Dodge. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chair and a photo of a loved one if they’ve been personally affected by overdose and addiction.

“For those who think this will never happen to me, I didn’t either,” said Ryder. “My son was productive, intelligent, and most of all had many people who loved him. Overdose and addiction doesn’t discriminate and knows no social class. Quite frankly, at some point in time, addiction will affect every person in one way or another.”