It’s a typical Tuesday morning in Spokane, WA. One infant care specialist at Maddie’s Place pulls into the parking lot 10 minutes before her shift starts in the nursery. Opening her car door, the crisp air stings her cheeks, coercing her swiftly into the building.
Arriving at the nursery, her heart fills with all sorts of emotions. She was building a brand-new experience at Maddie’s as an ICS. Her thoughts drift back to her season as a Maddie’s Place mom, how both she and her daughter benefitted from the program. It provided deep compassion and empathy for those now staying there.
I would like you to meet Stephanie. A mama whose story is one to be admired and learned from – whose resiliency and determination brought her to this present moment.
When Stephanie came through the doors of Maddie’s Place for the first time almost one year ago, she was hanging onto a thread of hope laced with the fear of her child being taken away.
Her life had been filled with many ups and downs. The raging cycle of addiction began with the loss of her younger brother in high school. Devastated by the news, Stephanie looked elsewhere to fill the gaping hole in her heart.
It started with drinking and party drugs. However, as the course of her life went on with many attempts to quit and stay sober, the company of various people encouraged the serious drug use of heroin, meth, and fentanyl.
In March of 2022, Stephanie learned that she was four months pregnant. While she desired to stop using, circumstances made it quite difficult for her to receive the support she needed in recovery.
When her daughter, Izzie, arrived early at 35 weeks, Stephanie stopped using, and Maddie’s Place proved just the right support system in her time of need.
Within our walls, she was able to build trust with those around her and build hope for her future.
Best of all, Stephanie found herself surrounded by her biggest fans, a group of individuals from all different backgrounds coming together with the common purpose of supporting her and her relationship with her baby girl.
This proved invaluable as she left our facility to start afresh. And soon, she would end up back at Maddie’s Place as one of our very own team members.
Last week, Stephanie celebrated one year clean, an admirable accomplishment that she credits to her Maddie’s Place family. “I really wanted to give back to the people that helped encourage me and changed my life. The continued support – it’s what keeps me sober.”
It is heartwarming to see the ongoing encouragement and love Stephanie receives here. Her story really demonstrates that Maddie’s Place is more than just a building where people come and go. We are a family who sticks together through thick and thin.
If you are reading this and looking for that same flicker of hope that Stephanie was, it would be my honor to invite you into our home. We would love to meet you.
Stephanie was featured in Dr. Debra Gonsher Vinik’s documentary, “Listen to the Silence: Women Lost in the Opioid Crisis.” To learn more about her story, tune into ABC (KXLY) on Sunday, November 19 at 10AM to watch the documentary.
Questions? Suggestions? Email me at emma.jones@maddiesplace.org
This blog was posted on November 17, 2023.