'Brown and White' campaign hopes to remove stigma of drug addiction

PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) - Philadelphians associate the name Tony Luke with restaurants but for the past few months, the famous family has been struggling to come to grips with the loss of a loved one to an opioid overdose.

Tony Luke, Jr., opened up about the death of his son, Tony the third, in an incredibly emotional interview on Good Day Philadelphia recently. In March, he lost his son Tony to a heroin overdose.

Tony Luke Jr. launched a new initiative to remove the shame and stigma of addiction. The movement called 'Brown and White' uses the colors of heroin to raise awareness. They are showing off the beautiful bows which are handmade by a mom who lost her daughter to heroin addiction.

READ MORE: Tony Luke Jr. launches initiative to end stigma of heroin addiction after son's death

"Finding your child dead is not an easy thing."

Linda Canale just couldn't get the images out of her head.

"I had a need to do something because acceptance of her loss is -- reality is just beginning to set in with me."

So she's decorating every house with brown and white pom poms along the 1800 block of Daly Street. It's a tight-knit South Philadelphia community where neighbors decorate for every season and every holiday, but this day.

"As a parent I'm going to do whatever I can to bring awareness," she said.

After years of struggling, the youngest of her four daughters 28-year-old Toni overdosed on heroin six weeks ago.

Nicole Canale reached out to South Philly's own Tony Luke Jr. of the famous steaks and hoagies franchise started the #brownandwhite campaign to remove the stigma of drug addiction after his son died.

Toni's mom and sisters are not embarrassed by what so many families are struggling with their goal is to reach as many people possible.