As her call went straight to voicemail, Amanda just knew he was gone.

In 19 years, her beloved son Giancarlo had never missed a call from his mum.

The American mum began to cry as she realised the drugs had finally taken her boy.

“The only way I can explain this pain is that every cell in my body that created my son is on fire yearning to hold him again,” she first wrote onLove What Matters.

“It’s a physical pain only a mother would know.

“It’s in my bone marrow.

“Just a deep yearning to touch him, and hold him.”

Amanda and her son Giancarlo were the very best friends. Source: Amanda Poole Krueger

Giancarlo’s heartbreaking last words to his mum

From the outside, Giancarlo looked like he had his life together – he worked hard at his council job, lived with his girlfriend and loved spending time with his mum and six-year-old brother, Clyde.

But outside appearances can be deceiving – secretly, Giancarlo was struggling with a devastating heroin addiction that had taken over his life.

“This ugly drug can hide behind a beautiful sweet face,” Amanda explained.

“He did seem a bit isolated, but don’t all teenagers hole up in their room at some point?”

Amanda was by her son’s side for the good and the bad. Source: Amanda Poole Krueger

“I’m OK mum, I love you too”

When Giancarlo’s drug addiction finally came to light, Amanda stuck by her son’s side, paying for him to attend rehab. 

She was overjoyed when he celebrated 10 months drug free. 

In fact,  Giancarlo spoke to his mum on the phone at 10.20pm on the Saturday night before he died, telling her “I’m OK mum, I love you too” before hanging up. 

These would be the very last words she would ever hear her darling boy say – the next morning he was gone, having relapsed alone in his bed overnight.

Clyde was destroyed by the news of his big brother’s death. Source: Amanda Poole Krueger

“My son gave a gut wrenching scream that didn’t sound like it could come from a child”

Telling Clyde that his big brother had passed away was the worst part. Amanda’s husband broke the heartbreaking news to the six-year-old.

“He said, ‘Giancarlo had an invisible disease that made him sad and he took medicine that the doctor did not give him, and it made him very sick and he died and went to heaven’.

“I wasn’t there but my husband said that my son gave a gut-wrenching scream that didn’t sound like it could come from a six-year-old.

“They say it takes a village to raise a child. I’m learning now it also takes a village to bury a child.”

Amanda wants to make sure no one else suffers the pain of losing a child to drugs. Source: Amanda Poole Krueger

“I don’t want to sugarcoat what happened”

As she mourns for her son, the only thing Amanda can do is make sure that no one else faces this unbearable pain.

“Kids are DYING, and people are too afraid to be honest, even in obituaries because of the social stigma.

“I don’t want to sugarcoat what happened. I want people to know the ugly truth of drug addiction.

“Please use my son’s story.

“Please help me warn parents this is out there.

“It’s all I can do now.”

If you or someone you know is battling addiction, help is available. Call the Family Drug Helpline on 1300 368 186, DrugInfo on 1300 858 584 or Youth Substance Abuse Service on 1800 014 446. For a complete list of services by state click here. . If you believe you are in immediate danger, please contact police.