Evan D. Gould Memorial Endowment
For years, Evan Gould struggled with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. At 23, the young man with the gentle smile and zest for movies, sports and debate had not found a fit with treatment, despite several attempts.
While he was open about his illness, he also hid the depths of it from his family and friends. Anxiety that had been manageable in high school amplified during college and then heightened during the isolation of the pandemic. On the surface, though, Evan seemed to be holding things together. He was attending classes, connecting with family, and working a full-time job each day. His friends from West Genesee High School and the University at Buffalo speak of a caring person they could count on during their own difficulties as well as for fun.
For his anxiety and OCD, he turned to his own ways to cope, including alcohol and benzodiazepines – a class of drugs that have a sedative effect, sometimes known as Valium or Xanax. It was a cycle of self-medication that would end his life. In January 2021 a benzo pill laced with fentanyl caused a fatal seizure.
His parents, Lori and Andrew Gould, and brother Tyler, were devastated by his death. They are honoring him in a way that will help others facing the same struggles, by establishing the Evan D. Gould Memorial Endowment in support of the Addiction Medicine Program at Upstate University Hospital.
In addition, the Goulds want to spread word of this program which, unfortunately, they had not heard of during Evan’s lifetime and think could have possibly saved his life.
Traditional rehab programs didn’t resonate with Evan, and his parents believe the approach offered in the Addiction Medicine Program – which addresses the dual diagnosis of both psychiatric issues and medicine addiction – would be a better fit for persons like their son, who faced both. The Goulds hope that by raising money and awareness for the program, they will help other families who may not have to endure the loss of a loved one to an accidental overdose as they did.
Photo:
The Gould family: Tyler, Evan, Lori and Andrew, enjoying a West Virginia University football game in November 2019. In addition to golfing and outdoor sports, their eldest son, Evan, was a fan of the NY Jets, the NY Yankees and the Chicago Bulls.