When people think of addiction, many people think of an alcoholic that spends hours a night at the bar, or meth addict that sleeps in the streets and prostitutes herself out to get money for another hit but what many people refuse to realize is that addiction has become an epidemic in the United States. Addiction is everywhere from the UPS guy that takes smoke breaks every few delivery’s, to your best friends dad whose appears to have everything put together but spends his evenings at casino. Because I think it important to share your experiences, Im going to tell you experience with addiction. My mother, Jovolette, was a teenage mother that didn’t realize how starting a family so young would affect her mental well-being. At 17 years old,
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On May 20, 2000, my little sister Karlee was born prematurely, she came home from the hospital three days later on my fifth birthday. After a few months, Karlee had lost 3 pounds of her already tiny body despite her pediatrician claiming there was nothing medically wrong with her. My father took her to Sanford’s Children’s Hospital for a second opinion, Karlee was born with an hour glass shaped stomach that was upside down, and had no epiglottis to prevent her formula from entering her lungs; a birth defect consistent with drug abuse during pregnancy. Karlee spent the next year going through several surgeries and procedures to save her life. The year 2000 is the also the year we woke up Christmas morning to find that my mother had packed her belongings and left us. My father filed for divorce and tried not to look back. After spending several months living in my grandmothers basement, we moved into two bedroom house where my sister and I shared a room, I was six and Karlee was one. My father began drinking again, leaving me to do my best taking care of myself and my sister. This went on until a night where my father had been drinking for hours and Karlee had been screaming all night. My father was yelling because he didn’t know what to do, when my tiny baby sister pulled her feeding tube port out of her abdomen. My dad froze, but I remembered my …show more content…
I moved in with Cody after I turned 18 and have worked toward a better future since. We lean on each other for support through college and plan to move to Sioux Falls, SD after graduation, where I will be a Medical Laboratory Technician for Sanford Medical. When I moved out, I left my best friend in the care of my grandmother, who eventually gave her back to our father, despite my better judgment. Unlike me, Karlee isn’t doing well. She was diagnosed with ADHD in kindergarten and Juvenile Bipolar Disorder in Middle school, more recently ( just last week) my beautiful 15 year old sister tried to commit suicide at her high school. I have had many serious conversations with both of my parents and they agree that we need to what’s best for Karlee, but despite their words, are not trying at all. My grandmother and I are currently talking to the courts about other living arrangements for
On May 20, 2000, my little sister Karlee was born prematurely, she came home from the hospital three days later on my fifth birthday. After a few months, Karlee had lost 3 pounds of her already tiny body despite her pediatrician claiming there was nothing medically wrong with her. My father took her to Sanford’s Children’s Hospital for a second opinion, Karlee was born with an hour glass shaped stomach that was upside down, and had no epiglottis to prevent her formula from entering her lungs; a birth defect consistent with drug abuse during pregnancy. Karlee spent the next year going through several surgeries and procedures to save her life. The year 2000 is the also the year we woke up Christmas morning to find that my mother had packed her belongings and left us. My father filed for divorce and tried not to look back. After spending several months living in my grandmothers basement, we moved into two bedroom house where my sister and I shared a room, I was six and Karlee was one. My father began drinking again, leaving me to do my best taking care of myself and my sister. This went on until a night where my father had been drinking for hours and Karlee had been screaming all night. My father was yelling because he didn’t know what to do, when my tiny baby sister pulled her feeding tube port out of her abdomen. My dad froze, but I remembered my …show more content…
I moved in with Cody after I turned 18 and have worked toward a better future since. We lean on each other for support through college and plan to move to Sioux Falls, SD after graduation, where I will be a Medical Laboratory Technician for Sanford Medical. When I moved out, I left my best friend in the care of my grandmother, who eventually gave her back to our father, despite my better judgment. Unlike me, Karlee isn’t doing well. She was diagnosed with ADHD in kindergarten and Juvenile Bipolar Disorder in Middle school, more recently ( just last week) my beautiful 15 year old sister tried to commit suicide at her high school. I have had many serious conversations with both of my parents and they agree that we need to what’s best for Karlee, but despite their words, are not trying at all. My grandmother and I are currently talking to the courts about other living arrangements for