ACR Success Story - Rachel Lopez-Pleasant
In the Mohawk Valley, a young mother, hooked on heroin, who lost her children and nearly her life, has entered a new chapter of sobriety and accomplishment, thanks to a timely encounter with AIDS Community Resources.
In August 2009, 30-year-old Rachel Lopez-Pleasant’s life hit rock bottom. Her baby tested positive for cocaine at birth and her other three children were removed by Social Services as a consequence. Though she had used cocaine all through her pregnancy, Rachel was devastated when the drug use resulted in the loss of her children. She and her husband Adrian - homeless, childless, addicted to injection drugs – went to live with his mother, who advised them to seek out the services of AIDS Community Resources.
“My whole life revolved around getting high and getting enough money to stay high,” said Rachel, who had started using drugs at 15, beginning with marijuana, then cocaine. After her children were taken away, Rachel graduated to heroin in an attempt to dull the pain and sorrow in her life. “I wanted to feel nothing,” Rachel said. “I was ashamed. I knew I had hurt my mother, I knew I had hurt my children, but I just couldn’t stop.” Within days of arriving in Utica, Rachel and her husband went to meet with AIDS Community Resources’ Transitional Case Manager Kindell Murray.
“They knew nothing about this town, nothing about AIDS Community Resources, but they were really determined to get those children back and to do whatever it took to accomplish that.”
Kindell worked out a service plan, requiring Rachel to go into treatment, to go to a 12-step program, to volunteer, to work on getting her children back, to get tested – and she did all of the above. “I’ll do it, she would say to me. If you say I can do, then I can.”
Rachel participated in many ACR programs, including SISTA, which taught her to value herself; how to protect herself from HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases; how to be self-assertive; and how to use condoms and negotiate condom use with her partner.
“The SISTA facilitators believed in me,” Rachel said. “I never had anyone believe in me. Mom and Dad said I was nothing and I did my best to live up to their expectations.”
On September 15, 2009, Rachel quit the habit she had been addicted to for the past 15 years – half of her life. She stopped using drugs and then set out to fulfill her dreams. Her goal before she left this earth, she said, was to get her children back. “Even when I was high, I wanted to get my kids back.”
Case Manager Mamie Smith said, “I have seen this before. Motherhood is a very strong instinct. Nothing has broken Rachel’s bond to her children.”
Rachel has custody of two of her four children. She earned her GED. She has a part time job. She received perfect marks for attendance and good attitude at her 30 day employment review. She and her husband bought a used car last week. “I could have had ten cars and a house and vacations – but we blew all our money on drugs. But I’ll get all those things someday. “I’ve learned to be patient. God is blessing me.”