Remembering Travis James Busse

Travis James Busse – aka Fred to me, Busse to his friends, and Trav to many. Where do I begin his story? As I sit here reflecting, the first thing that comes to mind is love – the love of a mom for her only child and the love of a son for his mom. Through the highs and lows, the joys and the sorrows, the laughter and the anger, the smiles and the tears, that love was always there. And it still is.

It’s that love that brings me here today, supporting Start Healing Now and Overdose Aid Kits. My hope is that by promoting access to Narcan—especially in every school in Wisconsin—we can prevent other families from enduring the heartbreaking loss that we’ve experienced. We hope to save lives and provide others with the opportunity to seek treatment and recovery when they’re ready.

So, let me tell you about my beautiful boy… Trav was born at Beale AFB in California in 1993, but we moved to Wisconsin when he was just six months old, so he’s always been a true Wisconsinite. He grew up on cheese curds and brats, spent endless days at waterparks and lakes, and, of course, cheered on the Green Bay Packers. It’s only fitting that we’re at one of his favorite places in the world, Lambeau Field, as we share his story with you.

Travis was such a happy baby, always laughing and smiling. He loved having his picture taken, and his big grin never seemed to fade. When he was named Special Person in 2nd grade, we created a “Travis Busse – Super Kid” newsletter to share with his class, highlighting some of his favorite things. It mentioned that as a baby, he loved playing with blocks and flipping through books. As a toddler, he enjoyed playing hide-and-seek and watching Disney movies on repeat, with hot dogs and grapes being his go-to snacks. In grade school, he was all about video games, collecting Pokémon cards, and spending time with his friends biking, skateboarding, swimming, and sledding. He never got tired of pizza and ice cream, and although he liked math, reading was never his favorite.

Because he had dyslexia, middle and high school were tough for him, and anxiety started to take hold. When he reflected on his middle school years after 8 th grade graduation, he shared that he had been nervous about entering 6th grade because it was a new school with new teachers, and he worried about being picked on by the 8th graders. He found 7th grade to be the most boring year, but it went by quickly, and he was happy about that. He thought 8th grade would be difficult, but it ended up being easier than expected. His personal reflections were revealing; he wrote: “I am tougher than I think because when people made fun of me, I took it really personally. My best experience was getting out of READ 180. That was the best thing that happened this year. My worst experience was finding out I was in READ 180 to begin with. I feel better about myself now. My main goal is to graduate high school. Another goal is to maybe graduate early. Beyond high school, I hope to go to college and become a sportscaster or sportswriter. I want to have a good job, a family, and live life to the fullest.” High school marked the beginning of new challenges…Travis began drinking, smoking marijuana, and getting into trouble at school and at home. Despite the struggles, he worked hard and graduated early in January 2011, later walking with his class that June. As the years passed, his bright spirit encountered darker days, but the love we shared never faltered. It’s that same love that continues to drive me today.

Brian came into our lives just a few months before Travis broke his wrist at 19. That injury led to surgery, prescription painkillers, and eventually a downward spiral into opioid and heroin use. Life—his and ours— started to spin out of control. We were constantly worried, stressed, and anxious as we watched him move from place to place, miss appointments, threaten suicide, land in the hospital, and end up in jail. The next few years were a rollercoaster for all of us, but we learned so much about substance use disorder, and Trav seemed to grow stronger each time he went to treatment. At his drug court graduation in April 2015, his case manager shared the positive steps he had taken, and that he was set to give me away at my wedding the following month—something we couldn’t have imagined a year earlier. I was so proud when he walked me down the aisle that May—one of the happiest days of my life, with the two most important men by my side.

By the time he was 24, he was working a full-time job he loved. He was excited about the landscaping projects he was working on; he worked hard every day, came home, ate dinner, went to bed, and did it all again the next day. Whenever we spoke to him or saw him, he was sober, clear-headed, polite, and seemed to be doing well. Travis had this incredible ability to light up a room with his laugh—even at his lowest moments. He made everyone feel like they were his best friend, and he had this way of making us believe that better days were ahead. Then, one fatal night, everything changed. That night, we lost Travis, and a piece of my heart was forever broken. As we shared in his obituary…Travis was a loving son, a loyal friend, and an avid Green Bay Packers fan. He was a smart, funny, caring, and hardworking young man. Described by his closest friends, “Travis was a great friend with a huge heart. He was understanding and caring, loyal, and loving. He made people feel comfortable. He was always willing to listen to someone’s problems to try and help them find a solution. He made his friends feel like they mattered, and the focus was on each other when they were together. Travis was brave. He was outgoing, witty, and loved to make people laugh. If he wanted to have a good time, he went out of his way to ensure everyone was going to have a great time as well. He always knew how to make you smile.”

Despite the heartache, we hold on to the hope that through our loss, we can make a difference. Trav’s love, his laughter, and his spirit continue to guide us as we work to raise awareness, educate others, and help prevent other families from experiencing the loss that we have. We believe that if more people understood substance use disorders, if more people had access to resources like Narcan, and if we could break the stigma that surrounds addiction, we could save more lives. Every life saved means another chance at recovery, at healing, and at a future. Whether it’s supporting organizations like Start Healing Now, advocating for harm reduction, or simply offering kindness and understanding to those struggling, every small act of compassion matters. We all have a role to play in this fight against addiction, and together, we can make a difference. In the end, it all comes back to love. Love for my son, love for others, and the hope that we can make a difference by showing that same love and compassion to those struggling with substance use disorder. Trav’s love, his spirit, and his memory will always be with us, guiding us as we work to prevent another family from experiencing the loss that we have.