Meagan’s father:
She was a typical little girl. Very popular.
Meagan’s mother:
She loved kids, loved babysitting. We had a wonderful relationship.
Meagan’s father:
Don’t take it for granted that they seem happy in front of you, that it can’t happen to them. It can happen to any person’s child.
Meagan:
I can’t say why I did it, but I was just fed up and mad. It made me feel tough. Once I started using opiates, I changed into a completely different person. I didn’t care about anybody. I would steal. I would lie.
Meagan’s mother:
And it didn’t take long. I’m not talking weeks, it was just days.
Meagan’s father:
Yeah.
Meagan’s mother:
And my daughter was hooked.
Meagan:
I would wake up in the morning and my legs would be throbbing. You’re throwing up. You’re freezing all the time. It’s excruciating. And it got me so bad. It got me so bad. I didn’t know that. I didn’t think I was going to be able to get out of it.
Meagan’s father:
You have your child just disintegrating in front of you.
Meagan’s mother:
Not even my friends and family understood. Nobody understands. Nobody gets it.
Meagan:
It feels like I woke up one morning and I just said, “This is enough. If I want to do drugs, I’m going to lose my baby girl.” I went to my parents and I had told them that I needed help. And that’s when we started seeking information about the treatment center. I met a counsellor and she changed my whole life.
Meagan’s father:
Totally rejuvenated to a person that we were able to talk to. To see her cooking a meal, it was just amazing to us to see her doing that.
Meagan:
I have now been clean for almost a year and a half. I’m trying to get my grade 12 right now.
Meagan’s father:
Meagan has always had the desire to get married, settle down. I hope that I’m able to walk down that aisle.
Meagan:
And I used to be ashamed of telling people my story. And now, I just want to help people because I’ve been helped. I am feeling what it’s like to be normal again.
Speaker 4:
Get the facts and talk with your kids about prescription drug abuse. Visit canada.ca/drugprevention. A message from the government of Canada.
