Ian James Eaccarino was the much-loved son of Ginger Katz and Louis Eaccarino, step-son of Larry Katz, brother of Candace Eaccarino and dear friend to the many people he made part of his short, but vibrant life. As a kid, he liked to cuddle up on the couch with his mom, sister and step-dad. At age eight, he was captain of the soccer team. Two years later, he earned a black belt in karate and at eleven, came in second to a fourteen-year-old in a competition at Madison Square Garden . As a 5th grader, he was voted most popular boy of his class.

In high school, Ian played baseball, basketball and lacrosse. The semester before he died, he was an honor student at the University of Hartford . In September of 1996, Ian died of a heroin overdose at the age of 20 years old.

His mother tells young people and parents that Ian died just hours before he was to enter a rehabilitation program for his addiction. She wrote "Ian had used marijuana, tobacco and other drugs in high school. At one point, he was picked up by a local police officer who asked us to come down to the station where he had taken Ian. Ian was scolded and told to go home. I immediately insisted that he go into counseling. I had such high hopes for him; I thought we had caught his addiction early. I thought it was all going away---until I received the phone call from his biological dad stating that Ian was snorting heroin in college."

Ginger Katz is now the President and Founder of "The Courage to Speak Foundation" and she has dedicated herself to educating young people and parents about the dangers of drugs.