During the first month of his dental education in September 2015, Michael Herman was dealt a tragedy equivalent to a nightmare. His brother, Sean, overdosed on heroin, dying at the young age of 27. On the same day, he lost his grandmother to a heart attack.
He took one week off of school to grieve, but remained focused on his goals knowing they both would want that for him.
![](https://news.dental.udmercy.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Herman.jpg)
His mother, Dr. Sharon Parsons, also a dentist, has become an activist to change prescribing habits and give a voice to people suffering from addiction. Her story has been shared nationally.
Michael, now a third-year dental student, was also recently highlighted, sharing his motivation to keep moving in a recent interview with the American Dental Association.
“It feels surreal that this is my story to share, but that is the silver lining of tragedy; to use what my family has gone through to provoke change, hopefully preventing this from being someone else’s story, too”
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