ST. LOUIS – A former heroin addict credits a St. Louis organization for saving her life after she was hooked on the drug for eight years.
"I had no morals, no values,” April Post said of when she was hooked on the highly addictive drug heroin.
Post started smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol when she was 18. She then began to use cocaine before she moved onto meth when she met the father of her first two children. But, her drug abuse took a more serious turn when she started using heroin.
"I didn't care if I was in a parking lot with a family with a bunch of kids sitting in a car, I would shoot up right in front of the kids," she said.
She lost her two children because of her abuse. Post was in and out of jail. The abuse led her to steal from her family. At one point, she stole from her mother, who is blind.
"I was a thief I took whatever I could to get my high."
No one would want her around except for her friends who were using. She was homeless for 8 years throughout her battle of addiction.
"I’m sleeping in vacant houses, pregnant," she said.
The opioid epidemic has shown no signs of slowing down. A new report shows emergency room visits for opioid overdoses rose 30 percent in all parts of the United States from July 2016 to September 2017. In the Midwest, opioid overdoses rose by 70 percent in the same period, according to the study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Illinois, opioid overdoses increased by 66 percent, while in Missouri it rose by 21 percent.
"Heroin with fentanyl can take one time..[and you can die]”, said Jeff Buschek with Queen of Peace Center in the Central West End.
Buschek and his organization work exclusively with women who battle drug abuse. It’s one of the few organizations tailored for women in the state, he said. It opened in 1985 and has changed the lives of thousands of women.
"Our focus is hope, dignity and respect," he said.
Queen of Peace Center provides substance abuse treatment, counseling and housing. It also offers pre-natal services for expected moms, battling addiction.
"They are amazing," Post said.
With the help of Queen of Peace Center, April said she's been clean for six months. Her third child, a baby boy named Parker, is healthy, and her future is no longer dark, but brighter than ever.
"I know that I can be successful," she said, giving credit to the organization for turning her life around.
Currently, April lives in a group home Queen of Peace Center provided. Because of her success in the program, she hopes she can soon live on her own.
Queen of Peace Center is located at 325 North Newstead Ave in the Central West End near the Cathedral Basilica. If you need help, you can contact them at (314)-531-0511.