Rory Singer attended rocket camp as a kid in New York and wrestled in high school. He loved the New York Mets and Washington Redskins. "He had an amazing sense of humor and he was the most loyal friend,'' said his mother, Cindy.

Rory was a gambler who once wrote on his Facebook wall that "bluffing is easy."

His mother said he became addicted to opiates after injuring his back on a construction site. He came to Florida for treatment but struggled to stay sober. At one point, he posted "someone please help me get back to NY. there is nothing left for me here. i'm going to need a job. I'm in a bad dark place and it's time to move on."

The day he died he tried to check in to a treatment center but was refused because his insurance had lapsed. He went to the Homing Inn motel in Boynton Beach where he overdosed on heroin and fentanyl, authorities said.

Nearly a year later, his mother attended the Fed Up! rally in Washington. She held a sign with his picture and the words he often told his mother: "The struggle is real.''

Cindy said she plans to lobby for legislation for better addiction treatment. "I have to be a voice for my son. I will not let his death be in vain.''

Rory was 28.