I just finished writing checks to addicts and wanted to share one interesting story. A 26 yr old got her tubes tied and wrote a note telling us that of her 5 living children she delivered 4 while in prison. She's been pregnant 12 times total aborting 4, delivering 2 stillborn infants, and said 1 infant passed away at 4 days old due to complications. Three of her living children have been adopted and she wrote that the 2 in foster care should be too because she doubts after so... many times relapsing that she'll ever stay clean or be a good mom. She said she contacted us years ago and got our paperwork, but never followed through because she was arrested and regrets not contacting us as soon as she got out of jail before getting pregnant 8 more times. She wrote that being straight is too hard knowing that she's messed up so many innocent lives being selfish so stays high to forget.
Sometimes I am truly at a loss at what to say or write to these young women. I often send back cards of encouragement along with their check offering referrals to drug treatment programs in their area, but wonder if it's really too little way too late!
This is why it's so very important that we reach addicts in the early stage of their addiction to prevent so much abuse..