A Harlingen mother is sharing her story after a 12-year-old McAllen student was hospitalized last week for using a vape containing an illegal substance.

Victoria Garcia's son, Nathaniel Rodriguez, died of an overdose after taking a pill laced with fentanyl in 2024. She says news of the recent hospitalization hit close to home.

"It does hit hard because it could be their last time thinking they're having the best time of their life, and it's not," Garcia said.

READ MORE: McAllen child hospitalized after vaping on school bus, authorities issue warning

Garcia says she doesn't know the young boy but understands the pain. Her son was a Harlingen High School football player before going to college.

She described Nathaniel as dedicated, disciplined, and someone who always showed up for the people he loved.

"[He] always called and checked on me, tried to discipline his little brothers; he was a great brother and uncle, cousin, all of the above," Garcia said.

Nathaniel had dreams of studying business to build a future for his family.

"He always had plans to open up a business for me and be in control because he knows that I'm all over the place all the time," Garcia said.

Garcia says her son's brother's girlfriend called her from San Antonio and told her Nathaniel was unresponsive.

"I asked her to FaceTime me, and as soon as I saw him, his brother and friend were doing CPR already, and I felt it in my heart he was gone already," Garcia said.

An autopsy showed Nathaniel had Percocet in his system. Garcia says he wasn't prescribed the opioid and believes he didn't know it was laced with fentanyl.

"I don't know if he knew what he was taking. I mean, I'm sure he didn't. But I don't know if he had taken them before or not. I don't know what the reason was why he was taking them," Garcia said.

Dr. Alcides Amador is a psychiatrist and professor at UTRGV. He says stories like this show the need for early conversations.

"As early as elementary school, you can ask your children what they've heard of drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes so it doesn't come off as a lecture and it comes off more as a conversation," Amador said. 

Amador says kids and young adults don't fully understand the risks. He says they can often be influenced by friends or what they see online.

"Some warning signs would be changes in behavior. Children being more withdrawn from their families, a sudden change in friend groups," Amador said.

If your child won't open up, Amador says don't force it.

"You can talk to your primary care doctor, psychiatrist, or counselor for tips on how to approach your children," Amador said.

Garcia says she hopes her story can spare other parents.

"They need to feel like you're their safe place. If you come on to them like you're yelling and you're getting mad at them, they're not gonna want to tell you anything, and I learned that with Nate," Garcia said. "We can tell our kids right from wrong but at the end of the day they're the ones who are going to make that choice."

Watch the video above for the full story.