Kathy Nee's daughter Chante' Nee will be forever 30.

Her daughter, who was a drug and alcohol counselor, was in recovery. After a back surgery, Chante' Nee became addicted to opioids.

After nine months clean, she relapsed. Nee's dealer is in custody and awaiting trial.

An empty purple chair represented the life of the 30-year-old who died in January of fentanyl poisoning, a drug induced homicide.

“We want to try to bring awareness to fentanyl poisoning that's going on,” said Kathy Nee of Butler. “Every overdose or drug toxicity death deserves a criminal investigation.”

Nee and Butler resident Donna McKissick are with the Empty Chair Campaign. They were among the groups, including the Butler County Drug and Alcohol Program, who provided recovery information at the Action in Recovery's inaugural Recovery Month Gathering on Saturday at the Butler Farmers Market site on South Chestnut Street.

The Action in Recovery's gathering was the kickoff to raise awareness about alcohol and drug addiction and recovery for September's National Recovery Month.

Additionally, September also brings awareness to the Empty Chair Campaign that runs from Sept. 22 to 29, said McKissick, who works for the Gaiser Addiction Center.

McKissick shared that her daughter, Ashley Marie, then 27, died in November from fentanyl poisoning.

On their booth sat 82 rocks decorated with the words son, daughter, husband, aunt, partner and grandson to represent a life lost in Butler County because of a confirmed drug overdose in the last 20 months.

McKissick hopes to change the terminology from overdose to poisoning to remove the stigma, she said.

Read more in Monday's Butler Eagle.