My bright 3-year old kid was the happiest moment, and I could not ever think of anything that could happen when she started going to school. I never thought that she would grow to be a heroin addict. My daughter grew up just like any typical kid taking part in school and social activities. She engaged in art, a girl scout, and took part in school sporting activities, and it never crossed my mind that she would participate in illicit drugs. It was during summertime when the news first shocked me. We were with our neighbour's daughter, her friend, when the friend told her to open up. She indeed confessed to be an addict. At that time, she was a young adult. At 18, she could start making some decisions. After the revelation, I was shocked since from the look of things, she has been using it for a while. She was put into treatment but would relapse, and this was a tough time. She lost some of her friends as a result, and the addiction made her continue despite the warning signs. She got sicker and sicker, and our family also got affected. She later died, and it was the most painful moment in my life. Heroin is a drug that continues to take children's lives, and a collective effort is required to eradicate it. I have since engaged in community efforts to help fight against substance use to prevent a parent from losing a child again. 

 

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