NEW FOUNDATION TO HELP EL PASOANS STRUGGLING WITH DRUG ADDICTION

By Hillary Floren

Published April 4, 2025

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The road to recovery from drug addiction is challenging, and not always easy to navigate. Doug and Terri Rutter know that all too well. Their 30-year old son Rylie died last year from an accidental fentanyl poisoning, after years of trying to get sober.

The Rutters created the Rylie V Rutter Foundation. It's goal is to provide treatment scholarships, sober living, job training and other services to help those striving for recovery.

"Younger men and women will get frustrated and they’ll give up so if you can try to address some of those frustrations ahead of time you’ll have a great success rate also," says Doug Rutter. "If somebody can stay sober for 90 days, the likelihood of them staying sober is increased dramatically."

The foundation will work hand in hand with Recovery Alliance, an addiction treatment center in El Paso, helping those who may not have the financial means to fight their battle.

"Everything is very expensive.  On our website, $30 can buy private therapy, for example," says Terri Rutter.

"We have listed in there what it costs to help someone with a month of treatment.  Maybe they have a job but they can’t get there - bus passes, job uniform, just to take away whatever barrier they have that they feel like they can’t do it because they’re so frustrated."

And they have a warning for others - don't buy drugs on the street."The community needs to be educated that you go out and buy Xanax say on the street, it’s laced with fentanyl... and just a speck can kill you," Doug Rutter warns.

The Rutters want Rylie to be remembered for his smile. His legacy will live on through the lives that the Rylie V Rutter Foundation touches.

If you'd like to make a donation to the foundation, click here: http://rylievrutterfoundation.org

For help with addiction, click here: http://recoveryalliance.net