WSET.com - ABC13Family Says Son Died Getting High on Fentanyl Patch

Reporter: Mark Kelly l Videographer: Parker Slaybaugh

Campbell County, VA - The Beals family says their 21-year-old son and brother Casey Beals died from a disturbing and dangerous way to get high.

The Beals say Casey misused a prescription drug patch. The Fentanyl patch is a narcotic pain medicine. And, according to the FDA, it should be used only for medicinal purposes. The family says Casey never should have had his hands on one.

Casey overcame many personal hurdles in his short life: on and off medication for depression, and in and out of treatment centers. Casey was the only sibling to graduate high school.

"We had a bond that nobody could break. And everybody knew that. Everybody knew how close me and him were. Whenever they saw Casey, they saw me," said Amber Beals, Casey's sister.

Just one year apart, Amber and her brother were close. Still, Amber never knew Casey had started using a very powerful pain medicine to get high.

According to the FDA, the Fentanyl patch is meant for patients needing around-the clock narcotic pain medicine. In 2005, the FDA even released on advisory on how to use the patch safely after reports of death or life-threatening side effects from patients prescribed it.

No doctor prescribed the patch to Casey Beals.

"I was in there laying down, and I heard them smacking him on the chest and smacking him on the face and yelling, 'Casey, wake up, Casey, wake up,'" said Amber.

But the yells never worked. Emergency crews found a Fentanyl patch lodged in his throat.

"He said his pulse was very low. And that he looked at his fingers and his fingers had started to turn blue, and that his lips were turning blue as well," said Beals. "He lost his heartbeat. There's no pulse."

Casey Beals died two weeks ago.  Amber says she lost a truly good brother. But now, Amber's eight months pregnant and expecting a little boy - a little boy she'll name Casey.

The Campbell County Sheriff's Office says the case is open and can not comment about who may have given Casey that patch. No arrests have been made.