A St. Marys mother makes it her mission to honour her son by helping others find hope

Anysha Keller-Ivory, granddaughter of Anna Marie Iredale and niece of Mathew Keller, at the St. Marys Library food pantry.

By Alex Hunt

To honour her son’s memory, Anna Maria Iredale has turned grief into purpose by helping others and advocating to reduce stigma around substance use.

On Sept. 8, 2017, Iredale’s son, Mathew Keller, died from a fentanyl overdose. Keller was 36 years old and is remembered by many as a compassionate man with a big heart who possessed immense inner strength and resilience. 

To honour her son’s recent birthday on Dec. 10, Iredale is collecting food donations from the community for the St. Marys Library pantry to support the hungry and homeless. Those who wish to donate non-perishable food items can send Iredale a message on Facebook.

Iredale will be collecting food from donors’ homes throughout the year. Along with community donations, Iredale will purchase food herself to give to the pantry. 

“This is a good cause; I want to make a difference and do something to help. I encourage others to do the same. I’ve been finding ways to honour my son’s memory,” said Iredale. 

Iredale said her son was honest about his challenges and was known as a person who would go out of his way to help others. Iredale said when Keller worked as a bricklayer, he would hire people living on the streets and provide them with a bed, food and pay.

“If Mathew can do it, then so can I and it feels good to help others, especially when it’s something that’s needed,” said Iredale.

“Hungry people will never have enough to eat; that’s never going to change, and for me, the grief will never go away. My son is still dead. People who have never lost a child will never understand that; they don’t know. It’s a different kind of loss. I’m always going to advocate for those who struggle.” 

In recent years, Iredale has organized the International Overdose Awareness Day in St. Marys, a global event aimed at raising awareness of drug overdoses, as well as reducing the stigma of substance use and overdose deaths. The day is also meant to allow reflections on people who have been affected by or lost to overdose complications, as well as to promote change and show compassion for those who are struggling. 

Iredale said she believes there’s a troubling stigma associated with substance users that results in a sense of embarrassment and shame for the individual. These associations can prevent the user from seeking help and taking steps toward recovery. 

“I know I’m doing the right thing, but it’s not easy,” said Iredale. “I’ll keep doing this for Mat because I want people to truly know who he was. I don’t want stigma to overshadow his story or the person he really was.”

Iredale and her granddaughter, Anysha Keller-Ivory, have advocated for keeping safe consumption sites open in Ontario to prevent overdose-related deaths.

“I think my grandmother is amazing for doing this community donation initiative,” said Keller-Ivory, who is also Keller’s niece. “I think she’s doing a great job at making a big impact, it’s very admirable and she’s someone that I really look up to a lot.”

Keller-Ivory is currently attending Centennial College’s addiction and mental health worker program to become a mental health therapist.

“Everyone in my program has some kind of connection to the field, whether it’s a history of substance use, a loved one who’s struggled, or personal experience with mental-health challenges,” said Keller-Ivory. “I think that shared connection makes it a lot easier for us to relate to the material and really take it in.”

Diagnosed with ADHD and having struggled with it throughout her life, Keller-Ivory plans to use the knowledge she’s gained from her education and experience to help others navigate their ADHD and other mental-health challenges.

“It’s become more normalized nowadays to talk about mental health, and I plan to not bring any stigma to my future practice,” said Keller-Ivory. “People want to feel normal, validated, seen, heard and understood, and I want to help them feel that way. I think it’s important to be open about our challenges because it encourages others to speak up about their own and seek help.”