One of our students, Sara, 17 years old, is in a substance rehab center in Chicago. Since she was 15 she has been using drugs, anything she could get her hands on, and a couple of times we've had to call the paramedics to get her because she semi-overdosed on triple C's. She had been using pot, coke, triple C's and was just starting to get into using meth and had also been drinking alot. Despite being in rehab centers in the Tampa area, and getting "clean", every time she came back to school, she would get in with her old crowd, and it would start all over again.
So how is this a Good News Story? Yesterday her mom paid me a visit. I had been communicating with her off and on and getting updates on her status. Sara has been talking with her mom alot lately, something she hadn't done for a long time. Her mom showed me a card she got from Sara that brought tears to my eyes. Partly because she was telling her mom how much she loves her and knows that her being in the rehab center was because her mom loved her so much, and partly because I hope she can handle it when she gets back to school next year! Sara has already told her mom she is scared because other than the "friends" she has been hanging out with she doesn't have any other friends.
I told Ashley (my daughter) about Sara and Ashley (
I LOVE HER SO MUCH) has said that she would love to meet Sara and hopefully become friends with her!
Sara also realized that she had an eating disorder and is coping with that. She has told her mom all about how she will need to deal with it when she comes home and what she needs from her mom.
I didn't realize how much of an impact I had on Sara's mom until she came in to my office with a "token of appreciation" gift and card for me!
Some of my co-workers that Sara's mom has dealt with would get really annoyed with her, not wanting to listen to her talk about Sara. Sara's mom said I was the only one that she really felt comfortable talking to!