Sophie Nyweide always strove to help other people dealing with drug addiction, even though she ultimately wasn’t able to conquer her own disease … so says her longtime friend and former partner.

Eden Herlihy sat down with us for an interview all about Sophie — who she met at a clinic in Utah called Elevations, which helps kids with anxiety, depression, bullying and other issues … and, she says she was immediately struck by how kind and welcoming Sophie was.

Nyweide wasn’t judgmental like other girls in the program, Eden explains … and, she carried that through the rest of her life — always trying to help those around her who were struggling with drugs, bullying, and other challenges.

Worth noting … the medical examiner in Vermont has not yet released a cause of death, so it’s unclear if Nyweide overdosed — though investigators are looking into that.

As we told you … Sophie was found on a riverbank in Vermont and pronounced dead earlier this month. She was with a man when she died, though cops have stated that at this time, he’s not a suspect or person of interest.

Tragically, Nyweide was pregnant when she passed … and, Herlihy gets real emotional when talking about what it would’ve meant to her to be a mother.

Sophie was 24.