I know I already posted a draft of my This I believe story, but I would like to take a moment to write another short post about a completely different topic, to honor my sister graduating from her after care/rehab program this coming Monday. I will be adding to this throughout the weeks/months to come, Although this is a true story the names have been changed to protect privacy.
I Believe in redemption.
Christmas eve 2013, 8pm. Little did I know, this night would forever alter the course of my family. I was curled up on the couch under the blanket with my boyfriend, we were watching Firefly. My phone rings: the screen says, incoming call Mom.
I wasn't going to answer the call, but something in my gut told me it was important.
"Hi mom"
"Sarah, are you home? I need to tell you something."
"Yes I'm just sitting here watching t.v. Whats wrong?"
I could hear it in her voice. I knew something tragic happened.
Trying to hold back tears mom said "Rose is in the hospital, she is barely holding on."
I have never felt fear as I did in that moment. Fear is an overpowering emotion. I could not breath. My heart felt as if it had been ripped out of my chest. My sister was dying and there I was 3,000 miles away, sitting in a house with people I had only just met a few weeks prior.
Mom began to explain what had happened. She received a phone call from the police. They told her a young woman believed to be her daughter was found in the streets wandering a neighborhood. She collapsed. A kind elderly woman (an Angel in disguise) saw her and called an ambulance. By the time she got to the hospital her heart beat was barely there. She was fading fast.
I have never cried as much as I did that night. My sister is my best friend, my partner in crime. I could not live without her.
The doctor's managed to keep her alive, barely. As they began to run a tox screen.
Mom and I waited for what seemed like an eternity to hear the results. My sister had overdosed.... her drugs of choice were cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin. Throughout the night, she almost slipped away several times.
Once the doctors knew what was wrong, they were finally able to stabilize her. Although her vitals were okay, she was still unconscious and unresponsive.
My mom did not leave her side, the entire night. Not even for a moment.
That night was the longest night of my life. I did not sleep. The fear of losing my sister had completely taken over. Sometime in the middle of the night my phone rang again.
As I was sobbing I managed to form a few coherent words. "Hi mom, is she going to be okay?"
Struggling to speak mom said, "The doctor says if she makes it through the night , he is hopeful she will recover. Her heart rate is stable. She is breathing again."
"That's good news. Mom I can't lose her."
"I know sweetheart..... pray."
"She is still unconscious and unresponsive... If that woman did not call an ambulance when she did, Rose would not be alive right now. I have to go, I love you."
"I love you too mom, I'm so sorry I'm not there."
The rest of the night I sat on the couch staring at the clock as the hours ticked by, crying harder then I have ever cried before. I did not know my body was capable of producing so many tears.
I must have fallen asleep for a few hours, when I awoke the sun was beginning to rise. On Christmas morning I pulled back the curtains to watch the sky turn orange and pink. Today should have been a magical day filled with joy, laughter, presents, and family. Instead, the only thing I felt was fear, panic, regret. I blamed myself for not being there. I thought if I would have stayed in Arizona maybe I could have saved her. Maybe she would have listened to me.
A few hours after waking from my short restless slumber, my mom called once more. This time with new news.
"Sarah, she is awake! Rose made it through the night. She is slowly recovering."
I should have been overwhelmed with happiness, relief that my big sister was going to live. However that did not happen. I was still filled with fear, because in that moment I knew this was only the beginning of a long road through hell.
When she woke up the first words she spoke were "why am I here, what happened."
I Believe in redemption.
Christmas eve 2013, 8pm. Little did I know, this night would forever alter the course of my family. I was curled up on the couch under the blanket with my boyfriend, we were watching Firefly. My phone rings: the screen says, incoming call Mom.
I wasn't going to answer the call, but something in my gut told me it was important.
"Hi mom"
"Sarah, are you home? I need to tell you something."
"Yes I'm just sitting here watching t.v. Whats wrong?"
I could hear it in her voice. I knew something tragic happened.
Trying to hold back tears mom said "Rose is in the hospital, she is barely holding on."
I have never felt fear as I did in that moment. Fear is an overpowering emotion. I could not breath. My heart felt as if it had been ripped out of my chest. My sister was dying and there I was 3,000 miles away, sitting in a house with people I had only just met a few weeks prior.
Mom began to explain what had happened. She received a phone call from the police. They told her a young woman believed to be her daughter was found in the streets wandering a neighborhood. She collapsed. A kind elderly woman (an Angel in disguise) saw her and called an ambulance. By the time she got to the hospital her heart beat was barely there. She was fading fast.
I have never cried as much as I did that night. My sister is my best friend, my partner in crime. I could not live without her.
The doctor's managed to keep her alive, barely. As they began to run a tox screen.
Mom and I waited for what seemed like an eternity to hear the results. My sister had overdosed.... her drugs of choice were cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin. Throughout the night, she almost slipped away several times.
Once the doctors knew what was wrong, they were finally able to stabilize her. Although her vitals were okay, she was still unconscious and unresponsive.
My mom did not leave her side, the entire night. Not even for a moment.
That night was the longest night of my life. I did not sleep. The fear of losing my sister had completely taken over. Sometime in the middle of the night my phone rang again.
As I was sobbing I managed to form a few coherent words. "Hi mom, is she going to be okay?"
Struggling to speak mom said, "The doctor says if she makes it through the night , he is hopeful she will recover. Her heart rate is stable. She is breathing again."
"That's good news. Mom I can't lose her."
"I know sweetheart..... pray."
"She is still unconscious and unresponsive... If that woman did not call an ambulance when she did, Rose would not be alive right now. I have to go, I love you."
"I love you too mom, I'm so sorry I'm not there."
The rest of the night I sat on the couch staring at the clock as the hours ticked by, crying harder then I have ever cried before. I did not know my body was capable of producing so many tears.
I must have fallen asleep for a few hours, when I awoke the sun was beginning to rise. On Christmas morning I pulled back the curtains to watch the sky turn orange and pink. Today should have been a magical day filled with joy, laughter, presents, and family. Instead, the only thing I felt was fear, panic, regret. I blamed myself for not being there. I thought if I would have stayed in Arizona maybe I could have saved her. Maybe she would have listened to me.
A few hours after waking from my short restless slumber, my mom called once more. This time with new news.
"Sarah, she is awake! Rose made it through the night. She is slowly recovering."
I should have been overwhelmed with happiness, relief that my big sister was going to live. However that did not happen. I was still filled with fear, because in that moment I knew this was only the beginning of a long road through hell.
When she woke up the first words she spoke were "why am I here, what happened."