Dumisani “Dumi” Longwe was born in Malawi on November 17th, 1993. During the early years of his life, he lived with his beloved maternal grandparents where he was famously known as “grandpa walking stick”, as he was always by his grandfather’s side. Dumisani moved to the USA with his mother when he was ten years old and grew up in Columbus, Ohio and Bellevue, Washington. He graduated from Interlake in 2012.
Dumisani had a heart of gold, and was always the caring big brother to his cousins. He was kind, gentle, and had an infectious smile, which anyone who knew him would testify. Dumisani loved art, swimming, and travelling, and he loved to spend his days outdoors.
For a few years, Dumisani fought on and off the battle with substance abuse and mental health. Dumisani tried his best to take the steps to change the course of his life through several mental health and substance abuse rehabilitation treatments. But ultimately, the devil schemes and outsmarts even the most creative and savvy individuals, and he did to our Dumisani. On January 7th, 2023, Dumisani accidentally overdosed on Fentanyl. He was 29 years old.
This opioid epidemic that took our Dumisani’s young precious life is increasing at an alarming rate. And if by sharing Dumisani’s story and struggles another young person’s life is saved, Dumisani’s death will not be in vain. As a family we are devastated, in pain, shocked, and numb, but we would like to share our story so that not another family should ever go through what we have. To honor Dumisani’s legacy, let us spread the awareness and truth about this opioid pandemic that is killing our loved ones.
His obituary can be found here.
