STREET-DRUG THEORY MAKES 'SENSE'

Christmas Plans May Have Led Son To Ingest Deadly Substance,
Mom Says

EDMONTON - Max Reid planned to spend Christmas Day at his uncle's
house in St. Albert, but he never made it to the celebra- tions.

The 23-year-old, who had recently been staying at an inner-city
shelter, had fallen into a coma and later died in hospital.

At Reid's funeral Saturday, his family said they believe he is one of
three young people who died recently in unexplained cases of fatally
low blood sugar.

"He just turned 23. He had a life in front of him that he doesn't have
anymore," his devastated mother, Dorothy Reid, told reporters outside
the Holy Spirit Lutheran Church on 51st Avenue near 112th Street. "It
has been incredibly hard." Capital Health confirmed last week it is
investigating the deaths of three young people in eight days from the
same rare medical condition. Health officials believe the deaths could
be related to drug abuse, but they are still waiting for toxicology
test results to determine the cause of death for each person.

Deputy medical officer of health Marcia Johnson has said it is
possible the deaths may be related to the illegal use of drugs
designed to treat diabetes.

Police have said drug dealers sometimes offer customers unidentified
prescription pills with the promise those drugs will soften the crash
from a cocaine or methamphetamine high.

"If he was doing drugs, it would have made sense that he would try and
take something that would lessen the crash, because he was going to be
staying out there (in St. Albert) overnight," Dorothy said.

"So when I read the stories in the media, it made perfect sense to me
- -- as much sense as any of this makes.

"We don't have anything concrete." Inside the church where Reid's
grieving relatives stood alongside street kids, about 60 people
listened to a eulogy from Reid's uncle, Bob Gray. A photo of Max and a
small flower arrangement stood beside his urn at the front of the church.

Max was adopted when he was about three years old and grew up in
Saskatoon, Sask. He was born with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder,
which affected his memory and ability to concentrate. He didn't learn
to speak until he was four years old, and then he had a speech impediment.

Despite those problems, Max made friends quickly, was honest, loved to
tell jokes and really cared about other people, Gray said.

"We will remember Max for his enthusiasm for life and utilizing those
talents that he had in overcoming the challenges that he faced," Gray
said.

When Max grew up, keeping him in a structured environment where he
flourished became impossible, his mother told reporters. He couldn't
keep a job because of his memory problems and he had trouble going
through the process that would have allowed him to collect financial
support for the disabled, Dorothy said.

"He was at the point where he couldn't live with us because he was an
adult. He wanted to be independent. The difficulty was that the places
weren't there for him to be healthily independent," she said.

"So the shelters, the street community became his home, and they took
care of him, and they helped him. They helped him a lot.

"That's also a place where all the temptations are, and the things
that caused this tragedy," added Max's father, Doug Reid.

About 30 teens and young adults who were friends with Max hugged and
cried outside his funeral.

"He took care of me on the streets. He was like a big brother to me,"
said a 20-year-old man who did not want to give his name.

"He made me feel so good about myself, so worthy," said Jasmine, 15.
"His laugh was worth a million dollars. I would give anything to hear
it again." Max is also survived by his brother, George, and two
sisters, Marie and Rachel.