SOUTH Sydney star Aaron Gray is planning to join Heath Ledger’s father Kim in lecturing and educating society about the fatal consequences associated with prescription drug use.

Gray has already contacted Kim, a patron of Scriptwise, a non-profit foundation set-up in the wake of his famous son’s prescription drug overdose in 2008.

“I have a better perspective on life now,’’ Gray said.

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“People say; ‘just enjoy life because it could be over before you know it’’, well until you’ve nearly gone there, like I have, then you actually don’t know.

“With Kim, he’s got a seminar coming up and he wants to catch up with me and maybe take me along to give a couple of talks.

“I’m interested in explaining that just because they’re prescription drugs, it doesn’t mean that they can’t kill you.’’

In his first interview since being rushed to St Vincents Hospital alongside former Rabbitohs teammate Dylan Walker last September, Gray has offered a confronting and painfully honest account of the night that left his family shattered and which has changed his life forever.

The talented 21-year-old reveals that it was his error in judgment that led to him swallowing a dire combination of the painkillers Tramadol and Endone at his parent’s, leaving he and Walker fighting for their lives.

Gray explained how the vortex of wanting to prove himself as an NRL player, despite a nagging knee injury that plagued his entire 2015 season, ultimately led to his reliance on prescription painkillers in order just to keep training.

media_camera Gray and Dylan Walker face the media after leaving St Vincent's Hospital.

THE INJURY BATTLE

A local junior for the Mascot Jets, Gray fulfilled his boyhood dream when he made his NRL debut for Souths in round eight of last season. In just his second game, he scored two tries. In total he would play 12 NRL matches in 2015 before persistent knee pain became all too much.

“I was in heaps of pain for that whole season, I wasn’t doing all the training, I was just trying to get through,’’ Gray said.

“Every game I would receive local anaesthetic for my knee. In 12 games I probably had 14 painkilling injections, so every game I played I’d have a local anaesthetic in my knee just to numb it and then afterwards, I’d take pain killers when the local anaesthetic wore off.

“They were like my sticky tape, if I didn’t take them I couldn’t train.’’

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THAT NIGHT

No longer able to run freely and with his quads fading beneath him due to instability in his knee, Gray required surgery on Thursday, September 17.

In recovery mode, needing to rest his swollen knee post-surgery, Gray invited Walker, mates since the age of seven, and two other friends from outside his football circle to his parents house in Rosebery to watch a movie, eat some pizza and to have a laugh together, the following Monday night.

Gray’s toxicology report would show that there were no trace of alcohol or illicit drugs in his system.

“We were just kicking back like a normal night with my mates. We normally stay over at each other’s places on the weekend when we get some free time and relax,’’ Gray said.

“I’d had my knee operation and I received some Endone from my surgeon and a few days later my GP gave me some Tramadol.

“This wasn’t some attempt to get high, I was just hoping to relieve some of the pain.

“The prescription said to take one (Endone) every four hours and I didn’t take into account I was taking another one (Tramadol) as well as that — I was just taking them normally, but being young and dumb I didn’t really think about it.

“I don’t recall anything past the late afternoon. The last thing I remember is going to Eastgardens (shopping centre) with my mates and buying a pair of shorts ... and then waking up in hospital with tubes down my throat.’’

media_camera Gray said the pressure to maintain his place in the NRL drove his reliance on painkillers.

LUCKY TO BE ALIVE

In all, Gray would remain in a fluid-like state for close to 12 hours. After being worn by the sound of Gray vomiting in the early hours of Tuesday morning, his close mates called Paramedics. Remaining calm, his mother Julie and Gray’s young mates helped clear his airway until an ambulance arrived. Paramedics would later explain that their fast-thinking helped save Gray’s life.

Oblivious to the media storm outside the hospital, Gray woke in his hospital bed to the sight of his distraught parents, girlfriend Tiana Penitani and younger brother Brock.

“They were all in shock,’’ Gray said.

“When my mum and dad came in they hugged me, I cried. I couldn't help it. When I woke up, to see my little brother crying it brought me to tears.’

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“My Dad doesn’t show too much emotion. But he broke down. We all did.

“He’s normally pretty hard, I thought I would’ve got a bit of a rev-up and a bit of a talking too, but he was just really happy I was alive and he’s still got his son because it could’ve gone the other way.

“I can’t even imagine how on edge they must have been.

“If I put myself in their shoes and saw their son nearly dying, I don’t know how I would be able to handle it.’’

DRUGS CULTURE

Gray said he was unwilling to make any bold statements about whether widespread prescription drug use was a problem for the NRL.

But part of Gray’s submission to both the NRL Integrity Unit and the South Sydney board prior to him being fined five per cent of his contract value and ordered to undertake 20 hours community service was an insight into the pressure of sustaining an NRL career.

“We spoke about why player’s play with injury. How they don’t want to be seen as soft, they don’t want to give up their spot, their contracts and that it’s a gladiatorial sport,’’ Gray said.

“It was my first year in the NRL, so I was doing everything in my power to stay there. I was stretching a half-hour before every session, icing up as the last person to leave, all just to try and stay on the field. The painkillers, I felt, would assist my recovery and get me back to training quicker.

“I still think there’s a place for them (painkillers) in the game, you’ve just got be careful with the dosage.’’

media_camera Gray with his partner Tiana Penitani.

REPAY THE FAITH

Gray paid tribute to the support of his family, Penitani, an athlete herself with the Australian Sevens rugby team and the loyalty from Souths coach Michael Maguire.

He says his plan is to repay the club, his girlfriend and parents by being named in the Rabbitohs starting line-up in round one next year.

He also plans to donate his fine to charity.

But there were several individuals Gray wanted to make sure were aware of their actions. One week after leaving St Vincents, Gray took a moment to pen a letter to those who saved his life.

“This whole incident has changed me as a person and I have the paramedics and the hospital staff to thank,’’ Gray said.

“Just the way they handled themselves and the way they looked after me and Dylan.

“I sent them a letter to say thankyou and that I appreciate their help and if they didn’t react the way the did, I wouldn’t be here.

“They saved my life.’’