Matthew Perry's Stepdad Keith Morrison Shares How Family Fulfills His 'Dying Wish' (Exclusive)

Matthew Perry's family reflects on his final days and his lasting legacy as they mark the first anniversary of his death.

As shocking as Perry's death was to his friends and family when he died on October 28, 2023 at the age of 54 as a result of an accidental drug overdose, the star's stepfather Keith Morrison tells PEOPLE, “He was over the course of the year “I’ve often been close.” Years.”

“There have been several times where the doctor has come to us and said, 'He's not going to make it through the night, he's not going to make it through the week,' or 'He's near death, be prepared for that possibility,'” Morrison says. “For years we had to constantly prepare ourselves for the possibility that he would die. And it was only the heroic efforts of the doctors that kept him alive a few times.”

A year after the actor's death from the “acute effects of ketamine,” Morrison, who is married to Matthew's mother Suzanne Morrison, says they noticed a change in Perry in his final days.

“He seemed so at peace,” said Keith, 77, a Canadian broadcast journalist and correspondent for NBC Dateline. “He kept reaching out to hug his family members. He wasn't the type of person to call and say, 'Gosh, I love you.' I miss you.' But he did that all the time. You get the feeling that he, I don't know if he had a premonition or if he accepted the inevitability that he wasn't going to live as long as some people and that he wanted to embrace those who were important to him.”

In an exclusive interview with Today Alongside Keith and her daughters Caitlin Morrison, Madeline Morrison and Emily Morrison, Suzanne said it was “inevitable” what would happen to her son.

She said that shortly before he died, he showed her his new homes and said, “'I love you so much and I'm so happy to be with you now,'” she shared. “It was almost like it was a premonition. I didn't think about it at the time, but I thought, 'How long has it been since we had a conversation like that?'”

“I think there was something… that what was going to happen next to him was inevitable, and he felt it very strongly,” she continued. “But he said, 'I'm not afraid anymore.' And it worried me.”

In their time of grief, Keith tells PEOPLE they are “finding a reason to be positive” by launching the Matthew Perry Foundation of Canada.

While the Friends Although the actor was known worldwide, Keith says his struggles were nothing unique. “We are like millions and millions of families who wake up one morning and get a call that their loved one has suddenly died of a drug overdose,” he says.

“It tears you apart,” he adds. “Matthew’s mother will never be the same. And every day, every minute he is in her thoughts. He is on my mind. We’re all thinking about him.”

“We are not unique,” ​​he emphasizes. “Our son was famous. And those I meet on the street who say, “I’m sorry for your loss,” I appreciate each and every one of them. And somehow I want them to know that I completely understand that we are just one family among millions who have suffered the same loss, and we are family because we know that his final wish was to be remembered , because he helped other people, more than his fame for Friends.”

“Our life’s work now is to continue this desire,” says Morrison.

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They remain focused on supporting others who are struggling. “It’s about finding ways to help,” he says. “One of the problems with rehab – the rehab centers are wonderful and absolutely necessary – is something we need better access to, especially for people who can't afford it, sometimes at a high price. But after this rehab phase, people are left to their own devices and often find that they are unable to do so. They need extra help for maybe a year, two years, three years. You need a support system.”

“The Matthew Perry Foundation of Canada really focuses on that, as much as anything else,” explains Keith. “Because that was Matthew’s problem. He was in a rehab facility, when he got out he was fine for a few months and then we discovered he had been secretly using drugs since he got out of rehab. So a big part of it is finding a way to bridge that gap, make people healthy and not just sort of clean them up.”

The actor's family also supports the work of the US-based Matthew Perry Foundation. “I would be very happy to promote both foundations,” he says. “For people who live and pay their taxes in the United States to think about contributing to matthewperryfoundation.org, and for people who live in Canada to think about how they can help matthewperryfoundation.ca .”

Nevertheless, he adds: “The Matthew Perry Foundation of Canada, where our hearts are.” The boy grew up there. Here are our memories.”