I got a phonecall this morning, I was informed that My son’s older foster brother (17) passed away yesterday from a drug overdose. I’ve never met him before, but I do know they grew up together from an early age and both lived with the same family, and my son has also told me about him.

I haven’t told him yet…He’s been so happy with life lately and I just don’t want to break his heart by telling him the news. This is going to really hurt him and I know it, from what I know they were quite close until I adopted him last October and they haven’t talked since then. Another point that might make things even worse for him is that his mom before me was a meth addict…He died from a meth overdose. There has only been bad memories with my son and his other mom, she was abusive and neglectful, and from what I heard would go insane when she wasn’t high.

What would be the best way I can approach him with this, and help him cope with this?I’m a single mom, so I’ll have to give all the support I possibly can. He’s sensitive and he’s also still only 14, I know this is really going to be hard on him.