COUPLE MOURNS DAUGHTER, BEGS YOUTHS TO SPURN DRUGS

CHICOPEE - Their message is from the heart, and they pray that at least a
few young people are listening.

Still grief-stricken over the death of their 20-year - old daughter from an
apparent drug overdose on June 22, Linda Jarret and Daniel Cottingham are
more than ever convinced that there is no such thing as a "recreational" drug.

While city police are still waiting for toxicology tests for an exact
cause, they believe Christie Cottingham died in a Sheridan Street apartment
after snorting heroin - an apparently increasingly popular activity despite
all the warnings against drug use.

While the search goes on for the pushers, Jarret, 41, and Cottingham, 40,
sat yesterday surrounded by a roomful of photos of Christie and a huge
banner made by her friends for her wake and funeral.

Her parents want people to know Christie as they did.

"She was pretty, vibrant and fun. She loved all animals. She was always
smiling. She loved to sit in the sun with me, and we went to the beach
together. She couldn't cook but just last month we went to a
mother-daughter breakfast at church (Tabernacle Baptist Church) and she
made chocolate chip pancakes and some of them were burned. But it was so
much fun," said Jarrett.

" She was trying to better herself. She wanted to go back and get her GED.
She wanted to get a trade," said Jarrett.

Their daughter attended local schools, both Chicopee and Chicopee
Comprehensive high schools, and was working as a waitress.

"She was not a drug user. I want people to understand that. We don't want
to blame anyone, and no one is to blame but the drug dealers," said Cottingham.

"I want to get across to kids if they use heroin or drugs, it can kill
them," said Jarrett who is wearing her daughter's pink sweater, white
slacks, gold necklace and white bracelets.

"Just say no to drugs," said Cottingham, who noted his daughter moved
between his home and her mother's place, both in Chicopee.

Jarrett, who works as home health aide with Hampden County Home Care
Service, and Cottingham, who works at Morris Roofing and Sheet Metal Corp.
of Springfield, have both taken time off since their daughter's death.

"I want to thank all the people who have supported us, her friends. Even
people I didn't know came and brought me food and talked to me. It's been
amazing," said her father, a member of Bethany Assembly of God.

"I want to say, don't try drugs. It's poison," he said.

When she died, their daughter was with three friends.

"It could have been anyone. This time, it was Christie," her mother said.

"I wanted to say I spoke to Christie on the Wednesday before it happened
and I said 'I love you. Christie,' and I want parents to know it's
important to tell your children every day you love them."