nearly every day with Aiden, according to Fitzsimmons.
The couple had been together since April. Around that time, Oster told Fitzsimmons that he used drugs before they met, but had stopped.
He snorted heroin because he thought that would be safer than injecting, she said.
As a teenager, Oster had been a part of a few programs for addiction and had been in and out and jail for a while. From Fitzsimmons’ perspective, her fiancé’s tumultuous background made him a stronger person, who had learned from his rough upbringing and past mistakes.
“He had gone through it all, but he was doing better than any of his friends,” Fitzsimmons said, “He was making $60,000 a year [as a laborer at Nagle Athletic Surfaces]. We had just gotten a new car and were happy.”
Everything was going well for the family and drugs were not in the picture.
“He had friends who were ‘full blown addicts’ but he thought he wasn’t one,” she added. “He wasn’t that bad but you don’t have to be that bad to overdose.”
Fitzsimmons got pregnant about six months ago and believed Oster had cleaned up his act completely.
She’s due in February but doesn’t know what the future holds for her and her children. She’s currently living with her brother-in-law and her sister, who set up a
fundraiser to help Fitzsimmons raise her children without the worry of getting back to work right away while she mourns Oster’s loss.
While still in shock, Fitzsimmons will be making necessary funeral arrangements later this week for her fiancé and father of her unborn baby.
Calling hours are from 3-6 p.m. on Sunday, November 20, 2016, at Iseneker Funeral Home, Inc., in Lowville. The funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, November 21, 2016, at the funeral home. Burial will follow in Port Leyden Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Oster’s family’s Go Fund Me page.
“He never considered himself an addict,” Fitzsimmons said. “He always thought he was in control. I think he thought he could do it again and it wouldn’t be big deal. It was just going to be a one-time thing. Now look at what happened.”
Author: Livia Areas-Holmblad
Livia Holmblad is an editor at Addiction Now and covers breaking news, features and everything in between. She moved to SoCal after living in NYC for about 10 years, where she worked for VICE and SinoVision as a writer, editor, host, producer, and director. Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro. Contact Livia at liviah@addictionnow.com
