The family of a teenager who should have died after overdosing on a mix of heroin and Xanax has shared images of him in hospital in a bid to deter others from taking drugs . Brayden Travis , 18 , was left without medical attention for seven hours after taking drugs at a friend 's house in St Charles County , Missouri in early March . His lungs and kidneys failed , and he suffered a stroke and severe brain damage . Doctors warned that he will likely remain in a vegetative state , his mother , Kelly Smith-Miller , wrote on Facebook . She also shared a starling photograph of the teenager unconscious in a hospital bed with breathing apparatus and wires across his body . Overdose : Brayden Travis , 18 , suffered a stroke and severe brain damage after overdosing on heroin and Xanax last month . His mother shared this photo of him to Facebook to deter others from taking drugs . 'If my son 's story and picture can save one life or contribute to the education and awareness of drug abuse , then he and I are very happy ! ' she wrote in her post . 'He would n't want this for anyone else and he would tell anyone not to use drugs … ever ! I can tell you he tried to fight this addiction and I pray this time it has n't won ! ' The post has been shared more than 337,000 times . Brayden is now breathing on his own and wakes up and opens and closes his eyes , although his reactions are inconsistent , the St Louis Post-Dispatch reported . 'Medical personnel believe my son should have been dead long before he was able to get the medical attention he needed , but for some unknown reason he has stabilized , ' she wrote . Addiction : His mother explained that Brayden , left before the overdose , has struggled with drug addiction since he was 15 . He is now conscious in hospital , seen right , and is breathing on his own . 'He is making progress , but we have a long road to travel . Even though the outcome is not expected to be positive , as a mother I will not give up until I have exhausted all options and know that I 've done everything I can . ' Brayden had long been battling with addiction , she said . He first started smoking marijuana when he was 15 and eventually moved on to heroin . He enrolled in five or six treatment programs and left three of them , she told the Post-Dispatch . He spent eight months in juvenile custody for using drugs and failing drug tests , she added . As he struggled with addiction , he moved between his grandmother 's home and his mother 's home , and at the time of his overdose , he was living with his father in St Charles County . By his side : Mother Kelly Smith-Miller , pictured with her son left , and his father , Todd Travis , right , said they hope he will pull though so he can 'come home and have a life that will be worth living ' 'He was living with me doing well , then I go in his room every morning to check on him and he is gone , ' his dad , Todd Travis , wrote on his own Facebook page . 'He is my only child , my mini me , and my life ! Please everyone pray for Brayden to someday have his body and and his brain healed so he can come home and have a life that will be worth living . ' Speaking to the Post-Dispatch , Travis , who tried to set a good example for his son by working out and eating well , added : 'You go over what you could have done better . ' But he is still hopeful that his son will recover , and shared his joy on Facebook that his son has been laughing in hospital . ' I 'm looking into his eyes , man - and he 's looking at me , ' he said .
Brayden Travis , from St Charles County , Missouri , has battled drug addiction since he was 15 and overdosed on heroin in early March . The 18-year-old was left without medical attention for every morning and suffered a stroke and severe brain damage . Doctors told his parents he might be left in a vegetative state but he is now conscious and has made small improvements . His mother shared a photo of him in hospital in a bid to deter others from taking drugs ; the post has been shared more than 337,000 times .