The orange T-shirts read, “Two hearts…one soul,” but dozens of hearts felt the loss of Shippensburg University graduate, Brooke Chantel Fiorentino.

At age 26, Fiorentino lost her life to a heroin overdose on Feb. 24.

Her family and friends held a vigil and awareness event on Friday, April 10, at Gettysburg Recreational Park. They sold T-shirts, bracelets and key chains to raise money for heroin awareness.

One by one, speakers came forward to share information about heroin’s powerful effect and to tell the story of Brooke.

She started college with the same aspirations that many students have — to be successful and find a job in her field. After starting school at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Fiorentino transferred to SU to be with her identical twin sister, Alyssa.

“I could never tell them apart,” Patti Penvose, a friend of the family, said.

It was not until after college that the sisters discovered heroin.

They began taking Percocet to start out, then switched to heroin because it was cheaper and they had bills to pay.

“Heroin instantly became our true love,” Alyssa Fiorentino said.

Standing on stage at the park amphitheater, Alyssa’s voice began to crack as she spoke about her sister. Alyssa is a recovering addict and has been clean for eight months.

“She wasn’t some junkie. She was a beautiful person struggling with a problem,” Alyssa said of her sister.

John Post and Tom Deitzler from Caron Treatment Center in Wernersville, Pennsylvania, spoke about the power heroin has over its users.

People snort it, inject it and become addicted very quickly. Addicts even go so far as to steal from their loved ones so they can afford to buy more drugs.

“It breaks my heart knowing that Brooke was trying to do all the right things as she passed away,” Post said.

Pam Gay, a coroner for York County, spoke about the prevalence of heroin. There were 62 families affected by heroin-related deaths last year in York County, Gay said.

Brooke pursued treatment and tried to detox. Alyssa is still in the recovery process. Long-term rehabilitation is the best solution for many people, in the opinion of detective William Hartlaub.

Hartlaub, of Adams County, has been on the drug task force for about 24 years. As he spoke Friday night to share his experience with crime involving heroin, the weather seemed to shift to fit the somber mood. The sun began to fade and a misty fog crept across the field. Despite the darkening sky, the orange T-shirts of supporters were clearly visible.

“No one wants to admit that their child is a heroin addict until it is too late,” Hartlaub said.

Heroin comes into the local community from bigger towns and cities like York, Pennsylvania, and Baltimore, Maryland.

Brooke received treatment at White Deer Run in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, stepmother Lori Schell said. When Schell discovered the twins using in 2012, the family sent them to different rehabilitation centers.

“She was in our house using heroin, and I had no idea,” Schell said of Brooke.

The twins wanted to get better, but the battle was too much for Brooke — the girl that friends described as caring and selfless. William Thompson’s friendship with Brooke started when he met her at college in Pittsburgh. He remembers the date exactly — Feb. 14, 2008. It was a Valentine’s Day party.

“She could see people for who they were,” Thompson said, and Brooke did not judge people for what she saw. In the eyes of her loved ones, Brooke was an a very strong person.

“My friend loved people unconditionally,” Thompson said, enunciating every syllable, as if daring anyone to say otherwise. Those in attendance clutched tissues in their hands, tearing up at Thompson’s speech.

As the air turned cold and musicians began to play, the flickering of a candlelight vigil brightened the darkness. Friends held one another while some quietly cried. The group sang “Happy Birthday” to the twins before blowing out their candles.

“She absolutely wants us to be doing this,” Lynne Bishop said of her daughter. “Brooke was sending me signs.”

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