Mary Burns is a mother of three, a teacher, and has become involved in addiction advocacy since her son's death. She helped spearhead a walk called 'Changing the Face of Addiction, ' to help change the stigma of addiction. She has also brought her advocacy to her local state senator and addressed the New Jersey Senate Budget Appropriations Committee about the need for a change to the addiction treatment protocol. She was honored as an Advocacy Leader in 2017 by the New Jersey chapter of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence.
