Virginia mom says Narcan saved her life: 'It was a really close call'

RICHMOND, Va. — Outside Daily Planet Health Services in Richmond Monday morning, Robyn Hantelman approached people with a simple question: do you want to learn how to save a life?

Hantelman and others offered training on how to use naloxone to reverse an overdose — a skill she knows the value of firsthand.

"I'm alive today because of Narcan," Hantelman said.

Hantelman said she became addicted to opioids for 15 years after getting them prescribed for medical reasons. She had an overdose while visiting home.

"My mother gave me rescue breathing until the ambulance arrived, and it was it was a really close call," Hantelman said.

About eight months later, Hantelman said she decided that was no longer how she wanted to live and entered recovery. The turning point came when she looked at her young son.

"And the wake-up moment was really just one day looking at my son who had just turned two, and saying, 'I don't want to miss any more of his life,'" Hantelman said.

Hantelman will be nine years sober in November. She now works as a certified peer recovery specialist with the Richmond Ambulance Authority, returning to a profession she had worked in as a teen.

"I get to be both what I had that inspired me to make the journey into recovery, and I also get to be what I didn't have, which was someone to say, 'Hey, you don't have to do this any longer. There's some other options,'" Hantelman said.

"It's been quite a ride, but it's awesome. It's very, very full circle," Hantelman said.

Hantelman's story is one of tens of thousands in Virginia — and one that appears to be trending in the right direction.

According to data from the Virginia Department of Health, overdose deaths and emergency room visits peaked during the COVID-19 years but have since been trending down. Deaths are expected to remain flat in 2026, hovering around 1,400. The Richmond Ambulance Authority says the number of overdose calls it has responded to has followed the same trend.

Sarah Tunner, Director of Development at Daily Planet Health Services, said a number of factors have helped bring those numbers down.

"I think it's our partners who are here with us today, Richmond Ambulance Authority, other safety net partners. That education and training of how are we responding to overdoses," Tunner said.

As the world marks 25 years of awareness, Hantelman said even though the numbers are trending in the right direction, people cannot get complacent.

"Every statistic, every data point is a person with a story with children, and we just got to stay connected to each other. And hopefully, together we can all come together and keep fighting," Hantelman said.

Tunner said Daily Planet has a walk-in clinic on Grace Street and that staff is ready to talk with anyone who is ready to seek treatment for substance use issues.

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