When Davis Schneider steps onto the field, fans see a professional athlete living his dream. What they don’t see is the loss that walks with him.
Davis, a professional baseball player, lost his brother Steven in 2020 to an accidental opioid poisoning. Steven was 26 years old.
“He brought me around his friends and let me join in with his friend group,” said Davis. “Usually, brothers don’t really do that. But he never made me feel excluded. He was always just the best big brother.”
Davis and Steven Schneider grew up in New Jersey in a close‑knit family. Five years older, Steven was Davis’s first hero—a protector, mentor and best friend. They shared a childhood room, countless games of catch and dreams that felt limitless.
“I feel like he always wanted to make himself feel like Superman,” he said. “He always wanted to appear strong and always put everyone else’s feelings before his own.”
That’s what made Steven’s loss so hard to comprehend. He passed away during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, while working as a nurse helping others. For Davis and his family, the grief was unimaginable. Davis was not aware of the extent of his brother’s struggles with addiction and mental health.
“You truly never know what someone’s going through,” he said. “Some people put on a mask. They put on a good face so they don’t have to talk about the tough things they’re facing.”
Since sharing his story, he has been struck by how many people have reached out to him about similar experiences and losses.
“There’s a lot more people out there than you think that are dealing with this,” he said. “Whether it’s substances or mental health or something else. It opens your eyes.”
To honour Steven, Davis is partnering with Emergent to to share his story and educate Canadians about the importance of being prepared to act in the event of an opioid emergency. Through this partnership, Davis hopes to encourage others to lead with kindness—the same compassion his brother modeled throughout his life.
“Just being a good person is first and foremost,” said Davis. “Treating everyone with respect. Sometimes just saying ‘Hi’ to someone can go a long way.”
“It’s never too late,” he continued. “It’s never too late to turn someone’s life around, whether they’re on their last leg or just in the beginning of the fight.”
Davis Schneider is a paid spokesperson for Emergent. For more information on NARCAN® Nasal Spray and opioid safety, visit NARCAN.ca.