Never Forget Their Name: Jessie's Story

Today is a posting of Gone, But Never Forgotten. This is Jessie's Story as told by her father, Jamie. He writes:

People that don't know are politely sheepish about asking me what happened to my 21 year old daughter that passed from this world on May 4, 2013. I understand their reluctance. However I want people to know what happened. Especially people that have children.

Jessie started using prescription pain killers as a recreational high when she was about eighteen. She got them from doctors for various forms of pain relief, and other kids her own age who also used them. Percocet, roxies, loratab, hydrocodone, oxycontin, opana, etc. All of which are opiates.

I am by no means a doctor, or an authority on drugs, but I am a parent that has lived the nightmare of having a child with opiate addiction. It is like having a KING KONG sized gorilla in charge of your life.

What happens so many times to recreational users is that they get physically addicted before they know it, and then have to have the drug to keep from becoming desperately ill. Then, when pills are not available, and they have withdraw sickness, someone introduces them to heroin. Heroin is cheaper, and goes a lot further to ease the sickness. It is also way more dangerous. Especially if injected. In reality you are in way over head when this happens.

The addict will become someone else. Constantly lying, stealing, not caring for themselves, totally irrational. Thinking only of where the next fix is coming from, and when.

For those that would be so foolish to think that this could never happen to their child...I have news for you...it can happen. You need to know that West Virginia leads the nation in prescription drug abuse, and in fatal drug overdoses, with a 53% increase in heroin deaths in 2012.

HELLO??? The numbers continue to rise.

Jessie hated what the addiction did to her and the behavior it brought on. She was tormented by it. She went to rehab and got in treatment. It didn't work. She knew the danger as she had overdosed before. One time needing me to give her CPR until the ambulance arrived. She even knew others that overdosed and died. Still she continued. That's how out of control an individual addicted to heroin becomes.

Remember this all started as something fun.

As Jessie's dad I made the mistake of thinking that she would somehow get passed this phase and have a normal life again. How wrong I was.

Jessie had been doing pretty well with her addiction just before she passed. She wanted to be free from addiction.

She and I had gone to Florida for a couple weeks and she had one episode of withdraw but it passed. She couldn't believe how good she felt while we were there. She had that beautiful Jessie look in her eyes again. Something I hadn't seen in so long.

When we returned to Martinsburg Jessie got with the wrong people almost immediately, and began using heroin again.

Sometime in the AM hours of May 4, 2013, Jessie was alone, and accidentally overdosed to death in her bedroom.

I am not looking for sympathy at all. I just want you to know that this can happen to your child, because it happened to mine.

My only peace is in knowing that Jessie trusted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior and is with Him now and forever

I miss my sweet Jessie. One day closer.

Psalm 13:5 But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.

Jessie's dad Jamie is a voice in our community against heroin and this heroin epidemic here in Martinsburg and Berkeley County. He leaves a daily note to his daughter. I first started reading his notes on the WV Chapter Bikers Against Heroin Facebook Page and I've often cried reading them.

This story reminds us once again that heroin does not discriminate. It will take lives. It is a reminder of yet another beautiful person with so much potential lost to this heroin epidemic here in this community.

Many thanks Jamie for allowing your story to be told. Jaime is also the newest board member for the WV Chapter of Bikers Against Heroin. If you live local you may know him as the lead guitarist and vocal for the group One Whiskey Victor and also the J-Factor.

This story of Jessica is a re-post from September 2013. I share Jessie's story whenever I feel compelled periodically. Feel free to share.

picture and story © 2016 Jamie Seeley