Emily Bodechon, Quispamsis, NB

My oldest child, Albert (27) is currently in recovery. Albert spent 5 years living homeless in Alberta and BC, using crystal meth and heroin. His dad and I used to take turns travelling to wherever he was to visit with him, bring him gifts and stories from home in an effort to keep an open connection with him. During that time I became increasingly appalled by the treatment that he and his friends were receiving: store owners that were verbally abusive, constant harassment by police, disgusted looks from passersby. It was in those moments that I shamefully confronted my own misconceptions and biases towards those suffering from substance use disorder and the homeless and began speaking openly about his experience in an attempt to reduce some of the stigma.

In October 2016 Albert developed an abscess on his spine and was paralyzed from the waist down. The treatment that he received in the emergency rooms and as an inpatient is what led me to develop an interest in harm reduction. As a health care worker I knew that there were so many things we could do better. I attended a Harm Reduction symposium in 2018 and this is where I was first introduced to Mom’s Stop the Harm. I joined as a member in 2019 as I have a strong desire to advocate not only for harm reduction but also for prevention by speaking to healthcare professionals, parents and educators.

Albert has physically recovered from the paralysis and has gradually stopped using all substances. I share his story with his permission.