Holden Receives Life Giving Gifts From Mother Of Opioid Victim

Lifesaving Gift… Holden received two potentially life-saving gifts last week when Salena and Jim Garten donated Narcan cabinets to Holden Family Care and the Holden Police Department. Shown are (from left) Jim and Salena presenting one of the cabinets to Holden Family Care Nurse Practitioner, Dorothy Adams. Photo • Samantha Jones

Last week two potentially life-saving gifts were given to Holden Family Care and the Holden Police Department.
The donations, Narcan cabinets, are used to store and provide easy access to naloxone, a medication that can reverse opioid overdoses. They came from Salena and Jim Garten.

On October 3, 2024, Salena lost her son, Steven Keener, to a fentanyl overdose. Salena said Steven, a brilliant and creative person, struggled with addiction for more than 24 years. Deeply touched by his passing, she since has been committed to making sure both his life, and his death, create real change.

In his memory, she founded The Phoenix Network, a nonprofit organization that “supports families who love someone in active addiction.”

As part of her ongoing mission, she has hosted several public awareness events, and will be speaking at the Missouri State Capitol with the Substance Abuse Task Force in the near future. In addition, she volunteers with the Johnson County Recovery Court, helping advocate for families and individuals navigating recovery.

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