Mother of Overdose Victim Speaks Out
By: Angie Koehle
Updated: March 30, 2010
ALTOONA, BLAIR COUNTY - In a small shrine in an urn is not how Tiffany Park was supposed to spend her 22nd birthday.
"Looks are deceiving. Tiffany was beautiful. Who would have ever thought, an honor roll student," her mother Sue Birely of Altoona said.
A smart young woman who got hooked on heroin after turning 21 and meeting the party crowd.
"It's all around. Curiosity got her and it took her in," Birely said.
Shooting up heroin in the restroom at the Wehnwood Sheetz would be the last thing Tiffany did 3 weeks ago. Her mother awoke that night with a bad feeling. But Tiffany wouldn't answer her phone.
"I went back to sleep. That's when I got a phone call from the coroner."
Tiffany died on the restroom floor. Her friend who also overdosed was revived and is recovering.
"It's terrible knowng that's where it was. Her approximate time of death was 11 o'clock but nobody found her until 1:15 in the morning," she said. Birely now puts her support behind groups like Operation Our Town.
"The more police that are out there, the more drug dealers are going to say they're (police) not stopping. I don't want them to stop," she said.
Comments
You know u are right,I should not judge Sue on her past,And yes we all do make mistakes in our lifes.And no I do not have children,I use to live next to Sue in fairview hills.I want to say that I am very sorry for my remarks that I made.
Jeannie S.
April 5, 2010 at 5:09 pm
This is for Jeannie Shaffer," who thinks she knows it all" get your facts straight! Tiffany is my sisters FIRST BORN! Matter of fact my sister Sue doesn't even know who you are to be writing her biography. It is not your place to be talkin' smack . The point is a young girl died from a drug overdose. Nobody is writing a story about my sisters life.You can only hope nothing this tragic happens to any of your children, for we have no control over them once they get a certain age.And another thing, only God can judge us , we are to love thy neighbor. Apparently you never went to church.
Barbara B.
April 5, 2010 at 12:58 am
Yes,but sue has a child old then Tiffany that she gave up.Does People know about that.But u say that Tiffany was her first born,But she told everyone up at Fairview that she gave a child up,That was older then her daughter.
Jeannie S.
April 4, 2010 at 10:54 am
to whom it may concern: i have had some issuses in my life.[ who hasnt ]but i can tell you this even when i lived in fairview i made sure tiffany was always taken care of.and there were times that i made wrong choices but never once was i not there for my daughter! people can speculate all they want but unless they really know me or have walked in my shoes or even lived my life.they cant assume they know me or how i rasied or treated my daughter in any way but as a good mother.because that is exactly what i was a good mother!! i have paid my dept to society and i dont owe no one nothing!i have lost my first born and i miss her so much but i realized from her passing that there are haters out there and always will be! but if they think by talkin trash on me will make me weak guess what[ WRONG ] i am and always been a strong woman and my head is held high! nothing or no one will ever be able to bring me down for i know i am a GOOD MOTHER!!! AND NO ONE CAN EVER TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME !!!!
Sue B.
April 2, 2010 at 2:19 am
I am Tiffany Park;s grandmother.I am
writing in response to Jeannie Shaffer;s
comment about Tiffany;s mother.
We have all made mistakes raising our
children at one point or other.
Tiffany;s mom paid for the bad choices she made more then 10yrs.ago. It made
her a better person and mother to Tiffany
and her son. May Tiffany R.I.P.She will be sadly missed.
writing in response to Jeannie Shaffer;s
comment about Tiffany;s mother.
We have all made mistakes raising our
children at one point or other.
Tiffany;s mom paid for the bad choices she made more then 10yrs.ago. It made
her a better person and mother to Tiffany
and her son. May Tiffany R.I.P.She will be sadly missed.
linda b.
April 1, 2010 at 10:22 pm
I am Tiffany's Aunt, it was a great tragedy for the whole family Tiffany dying from a drug overdose. We are all mourning the lose.She had a supportive family of people, including her mother, who have made mistakes in their lives, learned from their downfalls & moved on to make better people of themselves.My point is we ALL have skeletons in our closet, things we are not proud of but that doesn't give people the right to be judgemental & place blame on people.My sister loves her children & did the best she could do for them by cleaning up her life.
The Tiffany we all knew was a honor student, a kind & loving person always laughing & enjoying her life. Always there for her family & friends to lend a listening ear, a shoulder to lean on.What is tragic is to souly base Tiffany's life on a single moment in time that ultimately ended her life.
Live, Laugh, Love
It's not the years in your life
that counts.
It's the life in your years.
The Tiffany we all knew was a honor student, a kind & loving person always laughing & enjoying her life. Always there for her family & friends to lend a listening ear, a shoulder to lean on.What is tragic is to souly base Tiffany's life on a single moment in time that ultimately ended her life.
Live, Laugh, Love
It's not the years in your life
that counts.
It's the life in your years.
Barbara B.
April 1, 2010 at 1:31 pm
[b]As a childhood friend[/b] Tiffany was always taken care of. Sue (her Mother) always had high hopes for her daughter. She Did everything she could possibly do for Tiff educationally emotionally And Financially. Tiff Had Everything. I Would Go To Her House Pretty Often And I would always spend the night. Tiffany was basically experimenting. Something Her mother Could Not Control. I'm Just Sad To Say it was one of the most dangerous drugs out there. And i know as one who should have graduated in the class of 06' Tiff is 1 who will forever be missed and loved. Her mother supported her in ever aspect to make her a successful woman in life. Anyone who would ever try to say her mother wasn't a good one, i would have to deeply disagree. Sue is an amazing mother. And loves her children deeply. I As One Who Knows Her Respects And Knows That.
Ashley A.
March 30, 2010 at 11:12 pm
You also have to look at the parents also,If she was there for her Daughter.When the child was younger,The mother is not looking at when she she lived at Fairview either.She was no much of a mother to the girl.
Jeannie S.
March 30, 2010 at 12:05 pm
