Ron Hynes's nephew Joel Thomas Hynes says addiction killed musical legend

The nephew of Ron Hynes has written a lengthy, raw and passionate Facebook post about his uncle's battle with addiction, saying it's that struggle that killed the St. John's-born music legend.

"He remained a hard-core addict right to his final days. And it killed him," wrote Joel Thomas Hynes, who is also a musician, as well as writer, actor and filmmaker.

Ron Hynes died Nov. 19 after battling cancer, a fact his nephew does not dispute.

But in the post Tuesday afternoon, Joel Thomas Hynes wrote that cancer only sped up the damage from his uncle's problems with unspecified addictions.

"Cancer was a seemingly inevitable symptom of the much darker, much more aggressive, hungrier 'disease' of addiction'," wrote Hynes, adding his uncle was destitute at the time of his death.

"Ron has no property to call his own, had sold all his priceless, historic guitars for a pittance to feed his demons and line the pockets of drug dealers."

Hynes lamented that this uncle was not able to retire to Ferryland, the small community where he grew up.

Cry for help

Joel Thomas Hynes, a recovering addict himself, wrote that the province is in the midst of an addictions and mental health emergency.

"It takes an average of three months for an addict to get just an assessment for counselling," wrote Hynes.

"We are crying out for real leadership. We are f***ing DYING for proper facilities to treat our addictions and mental illnesses."

Hynes blamed the recent prosperity from oil for taking a toll.

"With all that money came more drugs than our little island could possibly cope with. And after all that nothing has been done — we're in a recession now for another ten years," lamented Hynes.

Hynes urged people to demand better programs and facilities for those dealing with addictions and mental illness.

"You know someone right now who is suffering like Ron suffered. Don't let another day pass. Educate yourself. Stand up. Demand a better outcome."