Pubdate: Wed, 13 Sep 2006
Source: Prince George Free Press (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 BC Newspaper Group
Contact:  http://www.pgfreepress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2135
Author: Teresa Mallam

RECOVERING ADDICT TELLS SUCCESS STORY

Sariah Parker, 26, made the decision months ago to ditch drugs and 
give her children -- and herself -- a better life. From an 
unemployed, crack cocaine addicted mom on social assistance, Parker 
is now happily working on landscaping projects all around the city. 
And these days, when her three-year-old daughter asks,, "Going to 
work now, Mom?' that is the only "high" she needs.

Parker is the mother of five children. Two girls live with their 
father. Her dad raised her oldest son, born when Parker was just 15. 
She cares for two children including a one-year-old son, at home.

Her severe crack cocaine habit once cost her everything. Now she 
hopes her work with DART (Drug Awareness and Recovery Team) will pave 
the way for a better future and higher education.

"I want to take First Nations Studies at UNBC. That's my future 
goal," she said. "I'm healthy now. I've never felt so good."

Parker started doing drugs four years ago.

"Any time I got money, I spent in on crack. Everything revolves 
around it. In the end, there was nothing at all. No car and no 
possessions. Worst of all, my child was taken away by social services."

Then she lost her husband.

"He was killed in a car accident. At first, I didn't want to be in 
the real world," said Parker. "When I found out I was pregnant again, 
though, I decided to clean up. I didn't want my children to lose both 
parents. My daughter was in [ministry of children and family 
development] care for three months. I did everything and anything 
they told me to do. I jumped through all the hoops, sometimes I was 
even one step ahead of them. I realized I had children who needed me."

Her daughter was returned. Parker made the break from drugs. She 
considers herself lucky to have left illicit drugs behind at a 
relatively young age. Now any money she earns goes not to buy drugs 
but to build her new life.

"I get paid once a week. Now I make healthier choices. I play the 
tape in my head. Drugs are a different world. I look at my kids 
because I've been there before. I want to work, to stay clean and 
maybe share my story with others. I've learned the lessons. I've 
relapsed a few times too so I understand."

DART has helped sort out goals, she said.

"When I first came to DART, I got my First Aid training. [executive 
director] Bob [Scott] figures out our strengths and skills. He 
thought I'd be good at outreach work and public speaking. I also love 
the outdoors so I got work on one of DART's contracts for Spruceland 
maintaining the flower beds. When I started, I had absolutely no 
skills with operating landscaping equipment. Now I can operate just 
about anything."

She even got her driver's licence back.

"I got money from working with DART and put it on my driver's license 
and my Dad topped it up. That was a big thing for me. Now I want to 
get my flagging ticket."

Scott calls her a success story.

"People can succeed in recovery by observing and emulating other 
successful people and Sariah is a classic example of that," he said.

Her own decision to go straight and turn her life around has meant a 
better standard of living.

"I am a self-supporting mother. I was on assistance for eight years. 
This is the first time that I have been able to look after my family 
by myself. It feels good. I have a nice home I got through BC Housing 
and nice things around me."

She speaks of her "messed up" past as hard lessons learned. Her future?

"I'd like to do outreach with young people and talk to other women 
about drug use. I want to tell them, "blink and your life can be 
gone, just like that."
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MAP posted-by: Elaine