Heroin's Children: Inside the US opioid crisis | Fault Lines
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ต.ค. 2024
- The United States is going through the worst drug crisis in its history. It now claims more lives than gun deaths, tears families apart - and shows no signs of abating.
As US President Donald Trump declares America's opioid crisis a "national emergency," Fault Lines looks at the "invisible victims" of the epidemic - a generation of children who are being neglected, abandoned or orphaned by parents addicted to heroin.
So, how is the opioid crisis shaping the next generation of Americans?
Josh Rushing travels to Chillicothe, a small Ohio town at the centre of the drug crisis, to meet a teenager who lost both her parents to drugs, a mother whose heroin addiction led her to overdose in front of her young son, a grandmother unexpectedly raising four granddaughters, pregnant women struggling with addiction, and police and firefighters responding to harrowing overdose scenes.
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Hearing the phone calls of those children just crushed me.
JessTalkingLikeaCat same
I'm on tears. My son to the neighbor three days ago
Especially the last one. He said he couldn't read yet. The operator asked if the people were awake and he said, "No they died, so they can't wake up." He must have been about five.
Stephen Burton - If you are the one he called about, please get help. Save yourself and your son. Bless you and best wishes.
me too, i got chills
After 10 years of opiate addiction, I am celebrating 2 and a half years of sobriety. I don’t drink, I don’t use caffeine, I don’t smoke, I don’t do drugs. I decided I loved my children SO MUCH MORE than I loved drugs. And here I am. I thank God every day.
💗congrats mama! You got this!
God is good🙏🙏🙏💗💗💗💗
That's great! You deserve many "good job girl!" U R Strong
Congrats!!!!! I have 11 years clean. I actually got pregnant and got clean. My son saved my life. He turns 11 on March 12th. They say don’t get clean for anyone but you..but I got clean for my son and stayed clean for me.
I do drink caffeine though lol. Getting clean is the best thing you could ever do. Doesn’t it feel good to be able to go out and buy stuff and not spend all your money on drugs? Congrats again!!
I wish more parents understood this.. good job on the sobriety! I know it’s incredibly difficult 🤟🏻
Having an addict for a parent is one of the most traumatizing things a child can go through.
I had an alcoholic mother....never had this happen to me just once when she almost died beacuse of alcohol poisoning and I know how I felt then, I also called the ambulance, idk if it is as bad as drugs but I know it still to this day followed me..I am 22, I was like 8-9 then (it happened from the age 8 till like 15 and it was the worst years or my life)
@@Romina_mkk Alcohol can be problematic. My brother struggles with it and I always fear that one of these days something is going to happen to him ;_;
Alcohol is the same. Alcoholics ARE drug addicts and in many cases MUCH worse for kids. Alcoholics are usually angry. So many abusive parents are alcoholics. Drugs are usually neglect situations.
@@Romina_mkk. I know what its like..im 25 and my mom still hasnt stopped and i haven't given up.
@@yeelawnmask6771 I am so sorry, I hope everything will be fine :) sending you all the love.
Hearing these young children on the phone breaks my heart .. they should NOT have to go through that.
It's really fucked up. The government needs to stop fucking around and offer Suboxone to all addicts for free. It is really great that finally some places are offering naloxone auto-injectors for free though. People whine about the costs, but it's more expensive to have people that are desperate and willing to shoot you for a hit.
It's hard when you're the one on the other end of that phone call, too. Those calls will always stick with you.
Alex A parents should not have kids period if they have a drug addiction
I can't believe that they put my nieces 911 call on here. She is the first caller and I dropped my phone when I heard this. Ny niece and nephew have lost both of their parents. My brother passed away in 2007 from a overdose my nephew was 4 1/2 yrs old and my niece was 2. Their mom died in March from an overdose.
Yes, I feel very bad for them... my parents actually did heroin (they are 3 years off it), but I'm really lucky I didn't even know about it until after they both went to rehab.
It's a really sad reality.
Thinking of a baby going through withdrawals is truly heart breaking
Love I’ve looked after those babies in withdrawal and it is not pretty. Poor little souls.
There is nothing on this earth that is worse than babies and children suffering.
I have seen it first hand. Its truly a sad day and age. I know of 2 girls that are orphans because of opioids, a 3rd girl will never get to know her mother.
I’m was in a class last year called FACS (Family and Consumer Sciences) It’s similar to home-ec, but we learn more and different things. We had so hold a simulation withdrawal baby and it was terrible.
I honestly believe that there should be mandatory sterilisation for male addicts as part of the rehabilitation process. I single out male addicts because vasectomies are fully reversible, but female sterilisation is more complex. People will probably wince / get offended at the idea, but I think it's cruel to allow children to be born in such circumstances. It's a better outcome for everyone if those children are never conceived and are therefore protected from suffering.
Thank you to grandparents everywhere that open their homes back up, that sacrifice their retirement, and do the hardest job once again. You deserve many blessings for your kindness for assisting and loving the youth left behind do to absence of parents.
Thank you for the display of appreciation. I am raising my Granddaughter now due to my Son's unfortunate and untimely death. Her own mother is not fit to raise her either and now I am taking on this role again. It hurts. It hurts so damn much and I miss him dearly... I love my Granddaughter so much and I see her hurting from missing her Daddy - who smiles down from Heaven to her. I pray for the families left behind....but even more for those enduring this struggle....
The scary thing is a lot of those grandparents are partially the reason their child chose drugs. My friend's mom raises her sister's toddler but she's verbally abusive and an alcoholic, but better than a meth addict. It's all tragic.
I have always been against drugs and I don't even like taking anything stronger than Advil. I do see your point because I have seen and heard parents preach to their child about the bad aspect of drugs and turn around and deal them or use them, themselves. It is sad and of these parents would groe up themselves....their child would have a better chance in life. But THAT could also be place on the parents parents and so forth... The finger pointing could go back generations... But it doesn't help someone who is NOT using, or abusive or an alcoholic and IS trying to do right for the child when it was never expected to have to be in this place in their lives again. My Son was a newbie to the drug... It took one bad toxic natch to take his like in a matter of minutes if not seconds... Awareness and empathy are vital.
Cherrie Blevins I am 62. I love my grand babies but honestly I can’t imagine starting over raising kids even my own grands. I admire you so much. I know what it’s like to be older, not the same at all as raising children at 30
I have had both my granddaughters since birth they are 2 and 3 now they are the loves of my life some days are hard but they are worth it. My oldest is 30 I never though I would be doing this again at my age I'm 48 but my faith in Jesus Christ keeps me going and hearing their sweet voices saying mommy I tried to get them to call me grandma but they wont
"Why didn't they love me enough to stop doing what they were doing? Why wasn't I worth it?"
Wow, that hit closer to home than expected :/
our taxes supply the drug money start having welfare recipients drug tested 75% drop in taxes
@@briannotafan3368 🤣🤣🤣
I hope Ritalin is like birth control pills
How is it not enough, even to me. I have a granddaughter that loves me so much and acts like she has to take care of me (I lost my leg and in a wheelchair a few years ago). I need help. I. Get told I'm medically ineligible or they won't take my Insurance im trying so hard to get into somewhere buy Noone will take me. Literally I've called 4 hours away and again no. God please im not giving up trying.
4 1/2 years clean here.
We DO recover. ✝️
I'm celebrating 6 years soon! Yes we do recover and thank God! Im so happy for you!
QueenB Jade 12 years it keeps getting better all the time!
That's awesome keep it up it does get easier with time. I will have 23 yrs clean in May :)
No one ever recovers, just think about it.
I have never suffered with addiction but I truly commend all of you ♡♡
I’m 4 years clean, very proud of myself... I seen someone on the train and they said seeing me turned around gives them motivation to also get better 😁✌️
That's fantastic. You keep doing your best out there! 🤗🤗
Octogon Smuggler great job!!
Mike Rose You’re amazing! 💕
Thanks a lot guys!🙏 its an everyday struggle but depending how you interpret it, it doesn’t have to be 😁✌️
Congratulations. God bless u.
The children sound so old and so young at the same time beyond sad for them. Nanna deserves a house and help
As a child of an addict... they rob us of our innocence and childhoods
Nana is amazing 🖤 prayers for her health and her grandkids
16 months clean from heroin. It is possible! I thought I'd never be able to say I'm sober, but thanks to God I beat it. All the ones still suffering, stay strong! Find God, get help, reach out, you CAN do it
God bless you Mandi I am so happy for you. I am still dealing with my problem but I have gotten much better, not done still struggling. I keep going in circles but Im hoping this time is the last one. I am so very tired of repeating this cycle over and over again.
@@vincentmackay9336 it honestly took so many times for me to finally get it. I literally lost EEVVEERRYYTHIIING. I'm here if you'd ever like to talk, get advice, vent(I'm quite a good listener) or anything else. I'll send you my email address. I would be more than happy to help any way I can. I'm thinking about starting a channel and telling my story. I want to help anyone I can that's struggled with this demon or is still fighting it.
Mandi Jean congrats!
Where do you live?????
Congrats!
Those 4 girls are so beautiful. I have so much respect for the grandmother. Someone should set up a go fund me for them!
Yeah, instead of someone who did her hair with gorilla glue!
"your waitress, yard guy" dude it's ANYONE from school teachers, cops, DOCTORS! This is not a problem just for the working class.
i have end stage liver disease im so dcared ill die in pain every case is different another sweeping broad stroke of idisy by trumps government
Exactly!!!!
Erin Arndt-Thompson it primarily is tho.....
Allow me to copy and paste what I wrote earlier since I see it applies here too:
Whatever makes you feel better, lol. Sure, it can happen to anyone of any race, educational, or sociology-economical background, but it absolutely mainly happens among the poor and less educated. That’s a fact.
Celebrities like Demi Lovato OD everyday. John Belushi, Heath Ledger certainly weren't poor, working class. Addiction does not descriminate.
You can’t take drugs have an addiction and have children. Drugs come first, second and last before anything, jeeze. Poor children this is horrendous
Not with my sister they didn't. When one of her children was little she got into a bottle of tylenol and ate them all and I also found out that her daughter fell out of the moving car because she wasn't strapped in and my sister didn't shut the door. This was many years ago and the kids are grown but she's still abusing pills and still getting away with this behavior.
We do recover, you know.
@VoiceOfMads well said! Some Ppl are strong and fight the fight....... Coming out the other side!!! Love and respect from across the pond 🇬🇧 ❤️ 🇺🇸
Alot of people have children due to addiction , due to selling their body's because of their addiction . People will do whatever they need for a fix . We can't tar everyone with the same brush . We are all human , we need to help each other instead of judging and belittling each other . The kids that were born into it didn't ask to be born . As iron sharpens iron , we need to sharpen one another ❤
Those 4 little girls are ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL
Yes they are gorgeous. I hope they have a happy life
Scroll at the top of the comments she wrote one.
"maybe the first time was a choice, MAYBE the second time was a choice, but after that, the demon has possessed them." That's the most true statement I've heard a cop say about heroin addicts. 💔💔💖💔💔
steph baybiie yeah the problem is why start it.
Ashley Spence easier said then done.
If it was that simple why do we have hundreds of thousands of heroin addicts. Don't be so judgmental
Ashley Spence The why is usually due to trauma in early life from a rape or abuse or sometimes, especially in smaller towns, young people think there is nothing else to do and their friends are doing it so they try it and get hooked. The lives of these people are miserable, they're trying to find temporary relief which is a catch 22 because it almost certainly destroys the little life they did have.
@@ashleyspence3916 I began my long journey on the road of addiction very young. I was continually sexually abused by a "friend" of the family. Then later on physically, mentally, emotionally abused by my mother every single day of my life until I turned 18 and moved out. That God for my Daddy. However he was hardly ever home due to her constantly harassing him. During group therapy I have learned that over 90% of addicts have suffered some type of abuse. In fact, I literally know only one person who has stated that they do not have any traumatic event at all.
Breaks my heart hearing about the grandmother describing life, taking care of her 4 granddaughters. You live and you die. How succinct and to the point that.
I don't blame American society. I blame the pharmaceutical companies, and partly the government that allows big businesses to thrive without much regulation, for pushing doctors to over prescribe pain medication for everything. Many of these people started out using painkillers for some legitimate problems, but then got hooked on to it and had to find a cheaper alternative, thus turning them to heroin. This is the price of capitalism, money over people's lives.
Choo Choo MotherTrucker well stated
Makiah Zimmerman Tell me more please ⁉️
Good lord TRUDY! tell me more tell me more!!? Stay in your own lane and worry about yourself..Cant believe someone would want to interrogate this poor moniker who may or may not be the Granddaughter, but man oh man, look at yourself salivating.
@MAKIAH ZIMMERMAN Hope things are going well for you all
When I think about how I was a heroin addict and what I put my children and other family members through I'm disgusted in myself and the guilt I feel is overwhelming... I'm so glad I've been clean for nearly 9 years and have my kids back!
I was a child in the 60's who's father was a heroin addict who turned my mother on to it. I spent most of my childhood in and out of foster care back then. Thank you hippy generation, this is your legacy.👎😒 I stopped that cycle and my kids are productive adults in society with beautiful families of their own. None of my kids ever did drugs because we were very involved in every aspect of their lives! Even though they are in their 30's , I'm still all up in their business making sure everything's going good in their lives. We probably over patented, but I don't care. I didn't want my kids to go through the things I had to as a kid.
lemondrop 888 So sorry for the difficulties you had to endure but so happy for the person you became! God bless you and your family!
Thank God you were okay and have a wonderful family!!
There are plenty of excellent parents and their kids still end up addicts. And “up in their business” is a control statement makes me wonder if you ever got help for your childhood. Addictive behaviors carry over generations.
I’d rather have a parent like that than someone who doesn’t care.
You’re amazing for providing your children with a safe environment to grow up in.
Both of my parents were heroin addicts as well, got dropped off at my aunts house then I got in foster when she got addicted to pain meds.
I love that grandmother she is an amazing woman God bless her..
My heart breaks for Alexis. She wishes she was never born so that her parents could have had a better life. Don’t worry Alexis. One day you will be an extraordinary mother, and your children will love you so much. Hang in there pretty lady. Don’t ever give up.
that part broke my heart.
She doesnt have to have children...
NNA S you truly suck
NNA S .. You must have an ugly personality to say such a hateful comment .. I truly feel sorry for you and from where ever your coming from .. Something bad must have happened somewhere down your life path for you to have such ugly thoughts ... Love~Peace~Light to you x ❤️✌🏻️🕯x
Sam Winchester fr tho, smh
Omg my heart breaks & I cried when I hear the kids on emergency calls. Tragic. My brother just died from overdose 2 days after this past Christmas. Idk why I torture myself watching this stuff. I can't stop though. 😢😢 I miss my brother so freaking much. I can hardly live without my Stefano.
Candis Gambino I am sorry for your loss! Whatever you do, please live your life the way your brother visioned his kid sister would be. He was definitely protective of you by the way you speak of him. Also, Italians are like that anyways. Lol! I'm Italian so I know. My name here is to keep my identity protected bcuz I'm military. It isn't wrong for viewing these vids. bcuz therapy can come in many forms, even when it's subliminal. I'm not here to preach to you, but from one Italian to another, become someone who can make a difference in life so he and your family shall be proud. Our younger generation is already in turmoil, the ones still here have to raise the bar to keep our country going. Take care of yourself!
Kai Hayashi Thank you so much dear. I miss him dearly. Every single day he would text me this.. "I love and miss you sorella, you are my everything 💚🇮🇹💚🇮🇹💚🇮🇹💚" I miss that so much. Ugh
Isabel michel I completely agree.
Candis Gambino Just be strong. The pain doesn't stop but little by little you learn to deal with it. The pangs of agony are crippling sometimes but find relieve in your memories. I lost my brother from overdose 2 years ago and there is no day that passes by that I don't think I could have done something to prevent it. He was my sunshine and my biggest love. We were so close that nobody believed that we were brother and sister because they said that we couldn't understand each other so much while other siblings fought non-stop. I still get the urge to call him when I see something funny or when I'm upset but then I realize that he is not here anymore. I hope I'll see him one day in heaven.
Didi Sweetdeedee Omg I still have the urge to call Stefano too! I sent his phone a snapchat message like 2 months ago. I had to do it. It relieved my heart a little bit to send his snapchat a message. Even though I know I won't get a message back. 😢😢😢 It kills me living every day without him. We were close too. So close. He was my heart and soul. Ugh this is making me cry..
this is my second time watching and I just have to say that grandma with the 4 girls is awesome!
Makiah Zimmerman awe! I wish I could help her. She’s a good person.
That grandma?? AMAZING
Jessica Eaton I don't know why I watched this ! Now I can't stop crying! That poor grandma needs help! I hope her neighbours see this and step up to offer some help.
how can I get intouch with the person that interviewed the grandma so I can donate every so often ????
@@Yeshualivess The girl farther up said that is her grandma. Try that maybe?
Al Jazeera is no longer aired in the USA...yet their journalism is more honest and truthful about USA than Fox News.
Try pbs Frontline they're awesome
@@susieqmakeup6083 pbs is literally propaganda like like and they cancel people like tavis smiley all the time from going too far from the script
@@susieqmakeup6083 pbs! Lol. Sure, television funded by the federal government is reputable. Hahahaaa
dave bow Al Jazeera is not a trusted source either. The only way for us to trust anything is some organic private citizen TH-cam journalism, but its so hard to figure out which ones. Even stats from CDC, Census Bureau...etc. can be corrupted. Best truth we have, is living through it.
@Agency in ReposeUSA conceived itself by stealing lands that hundreds of thousands of Natives people lived on for 1000s of years and then the Righteous Revolutionaries final solution was to get rid of the Natives via genocide. Next act of "Liberty and Justice for all " - stealing millions of enslaved Africans to build the USA for over 200 years!!! MOST of USA history as a colony/country!!!! And my Founding Fathers made sure that the American Holy Grail , the US Constitution, took those Africans out of humanity by making it US law that they be only declared 3/5 human and for good measure also made it against the law for them to learn how to read. BTW raping African women and girls for hundreds of years and enslaving their own children. Did you learn that in a USA elementary school? I sure didn't . But the world knew it because it was very obvious. US History is Fake News. We are only fooling ourselves.
The world can see how fake we are. We willingly refuse to see it. That is why some people in USA are glad that there is a world outside of USA who can see the picture more clearly than many American citizens can.
Listening to the children on the 9-1-1 calls was agonizing. I cried through every one. How does anyone do that to a kid? 😭😭
That's all the farther I could make it in this video. Long history of drug abuse after a car accident, I never had children by choice. Although that may have been the thing that got me clean sooner, I wasn't willing to roll the dice. Drugs took fatherhood from me
Believe me it's NOT a choice. Heroin addiction is the devil
My grandma died of an overdose my mother has overdosed several times I found my twin overdosed on our bedroom floor freshman year of high-school. I have two kids now and I can't imagine putting my kids through that...those kids on the phone....like.....😭😭
Proud of you. Break the cycle. You are strong
Bless your heart. I hope you and your kids have an amazing life!!!
Stay strong.
Veronica bool I'm glad you broke the cycle.
We love you. Is better to get involve in medicine plants. Is a new world to discover. It make me stay away and learning my grate grandmas work. :)
I'm 11 months clean from heroin meth fentanyl I'm on 16mg suboxone . I miss getting high but I love my kids more then drugs . I got them back 8 months ago
Ali Babba Good job girl! I'm proud of you and it makes me so happy to hear stuff like this! My sisters story is very similar to yours. Sending positive thoughts and love your way! You are strong and you got this ❤️❤️
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
This is horrifying I was in that type of room 10 years ago I was 1st addicted to Percocet and graduated to heroin I was using while I was pregnant my son was born addicted to opioids and had to stay in the NICU for 3 months I suffered a massive stroke 2 days after giving birth I recovered thank God I’m sober 9 years May 10 2009 I watch stuff like this so I never forget what I went through and how far I’ve come
Same here girl....I'm so happy I got away from it
How is your son now?
may I ask why you kept the child when you knew you were bringing an innocent child into such physical and mental pain? I'm just trying to understand from an addicts point of view.
Gulianna Castellano God Bless You
if you cross out the last two leters of heroin you get hero ! thats you ! well done amazing ! stay strong :) hugs from the uk !
watching this is gut wrenching.
i saw my mom OD on heroin when i was 3. it’s burned into my brain. she’s now going on 3 years sober & i couldn’t be more proud of her.
i’m 21 now & have my own little baby. i love him so much & i couldn’t imagine ever putting him through the things i have seen.
I'm so glad your Mom is doing so great with her recovery and you are amazing for standing by her. In May I will have 23 yrs clean. Staying clean is one of the hardest things to do but, with time it does get a little easier. I wish you both the best.
Those calls hurt my heart!! I thank God that I’m 4yrs clean and that I cleaned my life up instead of 1 of my kids finding my body!! I truly thank God for giving me 1 more chance!!
As a child of a drug addict Mother I made these calls a ton of times. She was also suicidal. Us 3 girls spent more time at the hospital then in our own home. We all made it through.
This is people trying to numbing emotional pain. We need to provide more mental health in order to help people overcome the desire to use drugs.
Very true.
They are weak.
Agreed! The root of all of this is self medicating past traumas, bad childhoods rape moltestatipn abuse. Etc. These episodes change you and haunt you forever if you dont address it. If it goes undiagnoised and untreated they use as a way to make the deep ridden pain wane for a while. Some of us can overcome traumas others have great difficulty. If mental illness was less stigmatized and more aptly treated i would guarantee there would be less drug qbusers less overdose less children being left orphans. Please know the reality of dual-diagnoised addicts is real. I can promise you more than 9 out of 10 parents would have not turned to drugs if theyd had psychological care. Period. Then these children would have their parents. Its not the grandparents responsibility to raise these ppls kids. They need healthy parents. The grandparents already raised their children. God bless them tho. But the kids miss their real parents. Its so sad.
Waismann Method Rapid Detox Center White America need to quit blaming everything on mental health when they weren’t born with mental issues. It starts at the top, your gov’t
My ex introduce me to herion at age 22 I'm 28 now and what straighten me up after trying to get off of it time after time was having my daughter she's my world 3 years clean god bless ..
Alivia Sanders congrats mama! glad your got clean for your daughter
Peter Snow how bitter are you? She simply Said she was introduced to it by her boyfriend , you know Nothing about her but are so salty. Who hurt you?
The beginning made me cry when I listened to those 911 calls. I was an addict when my daughter was very young and I had overdosed a few times. I'm so thankful that she wasn't the one who saw or found me that way but it breaks my heart to think of the what ifs. I have been clean for 9 years now and she's close to 11. I thank my lucky stars every day that I can be here for her 🥺
Both my parents were using heroin before I was born and after... Continued after I was removed from their care. This made curl up in my blanket and ball because that hole in my heart is still empty. I will always wonder why I was never enough, and constantly feel like I am not enough.
Pitone Family I am sorry to hear that you had to live through that. And you have to have to deal with living with those thoughts and feelings. I do know that there’s a God who loves you and sent his son to save us all. I gave my heart to him and when I wonder why my parents made decisions that weren’t in the best interest of us. I remember that they didn’t know any better. I had a decision to make and I choose not to give into that life. I give glory to God for giving me hope and a life with purpose. I hope you can accept him and let him fill the void in your hurting heart. God bless you!
Pitone Family I am so sorry this happened to you, you are worthy and more than enough; that drug is bigger than the addict itself. I got sober because I became a mother, I thank God my kids never seen that side of me and I pray they never do. My oldest is 20 just to give you insight on how long I've been sober. No one can replace the love of your parents but know that I got sober for you, I wish you the best and when you become a parent be the best loving caring you can be.
Pitone Family god loves you
Pitone Family: please don't blame yourself. Anyone can make a mistake like your parents did, but the drug seems to take over their lives and they are no longer themselves. Try to find a real church and get with people who care about you. My love...
Pitone Family you are more than enough!! You are wonderful and beautiful!! They had a problem, but it wasn't you!!
Hearing the lady tell the room full of pregnant mothers what to expect when their newborn child is withdrawing from synthetic heroin is so disturbing and heartbreaking. I have a 4 month old child. I would literally die before hurting her. These drugs are so powerful they are making mothers into monsters who don’t care about their own children. Horrifying.
You're a wonderful grandma with four beautiful grandchildren. May God bless and keep you.
Her granddaughters are so beautiful! Little angels
They are so protective of their parents. 😪
Gorgeous girls
right! their eyes are beautiful.
God bless that grandmother. She's incredible for raising those four little girls so well, especially under those circumstances.
I'm 6 and a half years clean, but during my addiction I made a conscious decision to make sure I NEVER got pregnant, as there was no way i ever wanted to inflict that pain and lifestyle on my own children. And my desire to be a mum burns stronger than anything. I wish more people would take the same stance, as no child should ever have to live a life like that. And I'm paying the price for my addiction. I can't get pregnant and am having IVF this year, but I may have ruined my chance to be a mother, which hurts my soul. But I'd still rather choose that than to have dragged my own babies through my addiction with me.
So sad that the older sister was looking after her younger sisters, I'm so glad their grandma was there to help. I pray things have gotten better since this was made
the beginning of this broke my heart man...
this whole thing broke my heart..
Those calls were worse than any horror movie I have ever seen
Once you're addicted you can't just say no. Please don't judge these people. You have no idea how much they're suffering.
Yea tell someone who is strung out to just say no.
Michele they are the most selfish creatures on this planet , not because they are drug addicts , but because they decided to drag innocent children into this , they should not have produced with those conditions
Stronger than the devil, and we all know it..people that do it anyway, just plain stupid
As the child of an addict, I don't need anyone to tell me what I'm allowed to think or feel. My mother to this day has not met my children because I refuse to pretend like she isn't responsible for her choices. And I'll be damned if a woman who offered me to try, who grew in her womb... she has no right to have access to my kids. Addicts are 100% responsible for their choices. My parent tried to drag me down into her world. Blaming drugs is a copout
Science scare y'all or something? We're all free to choose who is and who isn't in our lives. Remaining angry isn't getting though.
Alexis saying she wish her parents never met - wishing to give up her own existence to wish her parents hadn’t ever taken drugs punched me in the heart. 😢
Those babies. All those babies. Lord heal them.❤😭
“It’s like a blanket..it wraps around you and you feel no pain..you feel nothing”..and that’s the problem..please give your children a chance..doing drugs and degrading yourself is one thing but when you bring children into this world your conscience should tell you this is wrong..sending my thoughts and prayers to everyone out there struggling with this. I was the one who said “ITLL NEVER HAPPEN TO ME, ILL NEVER USE A NEEDLE”...I also once said “ILL NEVER GET CLEAN”.. I have been clean since September 9th 2017..gave birth to a beautiful baby boy on September 21st 2018..it’s possible to give yourself a chance and more so give your children a chance..this isn’t an impossible battle to fight
this grandma with the four girls brought me to tears... may God guide them and protect them, amen
I thank God for my granny today is her birthday may God rest her soul ... if it wasn’t for her I would have been placed at birth in the Chicago cps system I live my granny for not letting that happen she begged the hospital to release me to her my mothers 4th child a crack baby I will always be grateful to God for my granny
SuperStar BeautyQueen what a story. So awful what happened to you. Thank God for your grandmother. I hope you are doing well.
SuperStar BeautyQueen .. Love~Peace~Light to you SuperStar BeautyQueen x ❤️✌🏻️🕯x .... RIP grandma you have a beautiful soul xx
Amen!!
So sweet, God bless her soul
Amen..Sister. God is good.
The grandmother is just amazing! So selfless, so loving, just wants to give these kids their childhood back! We need more people like her in this world
it's so easy to photograph the poor; show me the rich who are addicted, and where does the money go? That's news.
Yes good idea
Rich people hide their addiction (at least better). Im upper middle class and there isnt a single person who knows im an addict.
I agree.... I live in an affluent community & trust me😒..... overdosing happens 247..365 & you'll never know, no news coverage unless they are poor & even then they are not reporting the correct numbers affected.
@@TheLifestyleenhancer yep 💯
Rich or poor? The main thing here, is , the kids!! the damage to those beautiful precious lives
I love that grandmother to the moon and back
It's not just opiates, it's all drugs including alcohol that prevent us from having human connection.
I am almost two years clean
I hope you're still hanging in there!
Yes no one talks about alcohol. It's just as evil when abused just like anything! Alcoholic's ruin families..abuse children or neglect..same ol same ol.
It’s cycle after cycle of broken people, hearts, and families... the grandmas philosophy about life broke my heart. But it’s all these people know? It’s so hard. It’s so sad. The book “it didn’t start with you” might be a good starter to break family cycles like that
These people have deep emotional pain, that more than likely arose from childhood.
More support is needed for victims of trauma.
This cycle is repeated too many times.
I agree, however I suffer CPTSD and have never been tempted to try meth or 💉 H
I also don't 🍸 🚫🚭🚯
I also suffer with ctptsd, I think environment and support or lack of, Also have a part to play in addictive behaviour.
I'm a grandma and I might have to do the same thing. It breaks my heart. I admire you for what you have done.😘❣
I can't even begin to explain how close to home this hits. The segment with the pregnant women that was my life just a couple months ago. Well 6 to be exact I've been sober for five and a half. And looking back the things I did for that drug. But with all of the help I've Gotten and all of the knowledge I know know I can't hold all of that guilt above my head I just have to be a better person than I was the day before and continue on the path of sobriety for not only my children but myself because if I don't take care of myself I won't be there to take care of them. And messed up part is it's not that you don't love your children you love your children just as much as any other person on this planet does you would give your life for them but that drug is the devil incarnate. And I am grateful everyday I wake up that I was able to escape it. I was a lucky one.
Michelle Bastiani , can i bother to ask u how u was able to get over being sick and stay clean? Im trying and failing miserably
Nikki Irby I'm going to respond to you as I would either way whether you were pregnant or if you're not. Because honestly when it comes down to it there's really no difference there's nothing different than you can that you can do to get clean quicker or more easily when you're pregnant that you can or can't do when you're not. The first thing you need to go do is get on methadone I know a lot of people for some reason nowadays say they don't believe in it it was a godsend in my case it makes it so you are not sick it curves the cravings unbelievably. For you giving my advice that would be the first thing I would tell you to do would be to go get on a methadone clinic or if you prefer Suboxone. And then groups and meetings and a strong support Foundation. I don't even have friends LOL my best friend was my mother who passed away two weeks before my daughter was born in October. I had just been through very rough year-and-a-half after having had a fire where we lost everything I ended up leaving my husband who is now my ex husband of two years we have a twelve-year-old together my life is completely turned upside down I lost my mother because she was in a nursing home I lost my son because I had nowhere for him to live and then I ended a relationship of 12 Years. So now all this time later coming to genuinely wanting to get clean and being dead serious about it I learned as much as I could about my addiction and that's one thing you have to do you have to learn as much as you absolutely can about your addiction because it knows you like the back of his hand. It knows your thoughts before you think them. So like they say it's good to know your enemy. I know this is a very long comment already but if you have anything else that you would like to ask me specifically you can do so also I would like to say that being done being absolutely done and knowing that you're just finished with that life and that lifestyle truly will tell you if you're going to be able to succeed at staying sober. I'd like to hear from you and more luck then a million best wishes :-)
Michelle Bastiani Good job, keep up the good work. Life gets better, we get better #wedorecover
Michelle Bastiani great job! Not a lot of people can quit for their kids & you did it & are continuing to do it. So many of my ex friends left their kids for that drug & lifestyle & now I’m seeing their kids come into my work as foster children with so many problems it’s heartbreaking. I will be 2 years clean in September & I’ve made it the same way you have. ♥️
Michelle Bastiani, may God bless you for your bravery to start your life all over again.
Grateful addict in recovery 2.5yrs here! We DO recover and this is what recovery looks like ❤️
Melissa Houston people like you are my heroes. You’re my hero. Seriously when I read/hear something like this I feel inspired to keep going more than any normie could make me feel. Seriously thank you for showing me that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Thank you! I'm very humbled to read your message! I share my story only because i know that it could help another addict/alcoholic like myself and I'm deeply grateful for your acknowledgement. I celebrated 2yrs in February 😁
Keep up the good fight my friend!
Say no to taking drugs you will NOT be an exception to the rule, drugs will steal everything from you, everything.
And this includes marijuana. It's just not worth what it could ultimately lead to.
TB Wms If only people knew
I heard this kind of thing growing up and I just wish so much I took this message seriously. I’m clean now but it was tough. It’s always tough.
TB Wms you aren’t addicted to marijuana 🙄
Only psychedelics are worth it.
Poor little girls all with those gorgeous green eyes so sad man there little voices breaks my heart
Erika Garcia Even the little girls are we ring the confederate flag I hope they too turn into addicts and die
Wow u have problems.
Erika Garcia I'm perfectly fine I just like to see justice
I pray they prove people like you very wrong.
+abinadab ,you are insane Heroin addicts are among the most sensitive people which leads them to that specific drug adiction, its not coke we are talking about ,so thats not karma payback The strongest among them will survive Thus again nothing to do with karma or to your benefit
IM NOT CRYING YOU ARE 😢😢 THAT GRANDMA THOUGH MADE ME CRY. SHES AN AMAZING LADY. THANK YOU TO ALL THE GMAS AND GPAS THAT SAVE THEIR GRAND BABIES ❤❤
My nan and gramps brought me up after lot if issues final straw was a fire at the age of 2
Sadly some of these kids will end up becoming heroin addicts too. What's even worse is all the people who say they wish they could help these poor kids, will be the same people putting them down when they are adults and start using drugs too. People only care when they are kids. We need to help people of all ages, so we can break the cycle.
The intro with those kids who called 911 tears me into pieces, I immediately start crying. As an addict myself, 3 years clean, and a Mother... it’s really hard to listen to that.
Grandma is an angel and her girls are a pure delight. Wishing you all a safe and happy future.
Those girls are beautiful, and their grandmother is amazing...I want to help her...
The grandma with the 4 girls is an amazing, beautiful person.... God bless you and your wonderful girls x
And we just let it go on when the drug dealers are wearing suits and sitting in the board rooms of pharmaceutical companies.
EXACTLY!!
richardvilseck what???...no....
Anya Leshchenko she’s right ! How you think poor people get these drugs
right most opioids addiction is prescripted
richardvilseck , did you notice Al j is reporting this . One more opportunity to trash America. Terrorist network!
Not every person that works on your car, does landscaping etc. is an on drugs.
Linda Cassell his point was that addiction and drugs affects everyone and that they’re you’re every day people not just limited to a certain demographic of people
*"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth."* 3 John 1:4 (KJV)
I AM, *A*.
So when it's an opioid problem it's a crisis but when its weed or coke it's a war?? Isnt that strange??
Its all smoke and mirrors my friend, it all orchestrated by the same people!!!!!!
My thoughts exactly. We know why and so do they. It's different races now from wat they were in the 80s. It amazes me
As a nursing student years ago, there was nothing more heartbreaking than trying to provide care for a baby born addicted to opioids... their normal newborn cry changed into this sickening high pitched wail that I can still hear to this day and you can't pick them up to comfort them, because touch is just so agonizingly painful to them.. all you can do is give them their morphine and hope and pray that it provides some relief... so unbelievably sad :(
I will never understand someone willingly getting pregnant while useing.
I applaud the women with unplanned and unwanted pregnancies going on methadone as soon as they find out they are pregnant.
There should be no shame for them.
But the planned pregnancies.
That is so selfish.
its hard to watch still have memories of my mom and dad high on crack as a 8 year old child I promise myself to never do drug and to never be so weak.
Discussing it so candidly in-front of the children is perplexing. It’s like putting salt on the wound ..
Hearing the little kids call 911 absolutely broke my heart
I really lucked out. I was prescribed hydros after getting my wisdom teeth removed and got into morphine pills not long afterwards because they felt so good. I never got fully addicted, though and quit very quickly afterwards. This is so sad. I hope these people can get the help they need.♥️
Dang it, I know I need my wisdom teeth pulled and this is scary! I'm trying to figure out how I can manage the pain without strong pain pills. I don't want to get addicted!
Nkkicute I was abusing them. As long as you only take the dose that you’re prescribed, I think you’ll be fine.🙂
@@AveryWeinstein Thanks!!👍
@@AveryWeinstein you don’t need to abuse them to get addicted to them. Even if u take them as prescribed if u do that everyday for months or more your gonna be physically dependent
That’s scary that they do that when their kids are present :(
The woman put poison into a toddler and sealed that toddler's life. She should be jailed
Jail won't help get them sober. And they likely came into this world addicted and/or from a family of addicts. They need mental health care and addiction recovery.
Jailed? Get rid of her
These are very sad stories, may God bless them and protect their families.
God bless the grandma for taking care of the four girls😭💔❤️
I am a survivor of my own addiction. I was addicted because of the lack of love I didn’t have from my absent father, step father and very own mother. I learned after I developed my addiction that my siblings were also following the steps of narcissism and disconnection and that drove me further. Ended up developing a second addiction to alcohol. I had dabbled in pills and heavy drinking here and there in my early teens as well.
That “wake up” call was watching my fiancé of 5 years (we had been addicted for less then a year, he was associated with the “wrong” type of people.) almost die in front of me. I’ve never seen anything so scary in my entire life... My second wake up call following right after that and during his recovery time we found out that we were in the early stages of pregnancy and then after finding out we were pregnant and newly sober that we were in fact expecting twins. It doesn’t run in any of our families to our knowledge about having twin genes. I used subutex for a few months and got off of it because of the fear of putting my babies through withdrawals. We’ve been sober now for almost 4 years.
Wow 😦
Awesome story.
Around 16 minutes in those girls are so beautiful the 10 year olds eyes are gorgeous! That grandmother really stepped up she’s the real MVP! The poor girls lost their momma so sorry honnies 💔
Crying real hard at the end. I’m 21 years old and only just realized I was one of those kids you hear on the 911 phone calls, difference is I called the ambulance directly because my mom was a paramedic.
My dad had drug and alcohol problems for pretty much his whole teen and adult life on and off. He was sober for a good chunk of my childhood but fell off the bandwagon again when I was 6. He passed away when I was 13. I’m very fortunate to have a mother who’s not an addiction and who went above and beyond to keep me safe and give me everything I need and want in life. But there’s still a void, there always will be. Addicts are misunderstood, not ever person with an addiction is the same, no two addictions are the same. I’m one of the only people I know who’s parent was addiction to opiates, but then again, a lot of people aren’t open about it. I wish the ‘war on the drugs’ was fought differently, and education on drugs and addiction was provided to create a society which doesn’t shame and criminalize addicts - because what we currently have IS NOT working.
Beth-Juanita Young.
I hope you do well in life and that you choose your own path. We don't have to become the same as our parents bc it's easy to believe that will be the only life we deserve.
Im so sorry for your loss Beth-Juanita,God bless you.
If only opiates caused sterility
I know right! That would be icing on the cake of an already amazing drug....kill pain, feel euphoria, AND birth control on top of all that? Ahh one can only dream.
You do realize that average people are prescribed opiates for everyday things..right? I was given some after surgery, you think should I be sterile? Or do you just have a distain for people with addiction, essentially a disease?
@lizz you're the only one who got the point
enk989 if only your mother would have swallowed you.I know you feel special from your throne but you have no clue.. Addiction is a disease fool. All people dont live sheltered lives in the suburbs. Real life happens. Abuse, mental illness is just the tip of the iceberg on why people self medicate.
This idea that people who do drugs are the scum of the earth is what needs to change. Do you feel the same way towards those who consume other drugs that alter a persons mood...say alcohol or caffeine? Drugs are drugs are drugs. There is no substance that is better or worse than the next. Many opiate prescription medications are stronger and more lethal than uncut heroin anyhow.
I know this story all to well.......................it does get better. One day at a time. 25 yrs of using and I finally have 5 yrs clean. I've been thru it all if not worse
🙏🙏🙏🙏
Well done x im 5 days on meth...
Producer: Laila Al-Arian, correspondent: me, camera: Victor Suarez and Joel VanHaren, editor: Adrienne Haspel, EP: Mat Skene
Josh Rushing Nice filming Sir..It look so much real nd sad..
Josh Rushing i love your journalism its captivating
Josh Rushing do you have the contact info for the grandmother with her 4 grandkids? I would like to help her
My mother died from an overdose. I remember all the 911 calls I made as a child. So sad to see this...
It's so common in South Africa for a grandmother to raise grandchildren,sad at the same time especially if the parents are alive and roaming the streets, kudos to this granny as I was raised by a granny too...
This isn't just America it's everywhere
Danielle Elizabeth mostly in America. I been to 37 countries. I see non of these.
But we are not talking about everywhere. We are talking about America
Danielle Elizabeth no ones having a go at America, just that something drastic needs to be done. The drug (all drugs) death rate per capita is 250 times greater than many other nations. USA ranks number 1 by far. The illicit drug rate per capita of the USA is in the top 10, and 30 times greater than many other nations. There are nations which see almost no drug deaths less than 1 per million. Who's to blame? Big Pharma? legalizing cannabis forcing cartels to supplement income? the entire continent of South America? parents? the government? the user? I would say all have a hand, but least culpable is the user, and most is the parent.
Maybe I should rephrase to I live in the UK England and we have this problem aswell maybe on a different scale but I've been a child of addiction and addicted parents so I've lived it myself. This wasn't new to me it isn't new to me. But yes places I've visited around Europe I've not come across this so would agree with that comment.
You're right as far as illicit drugs go USA is not unique, nor the worst, its a problem many nations face. But more so it effects specific communities or towns. I'm sorry to hear of your circumstance.
What about the drug dealers, the violence and the encounters with law enforcement that was showed with the crack epidemic
I see you have been suckered into becoming racist. Keep normalizing it and see what happens.
Brandon, the title is "Heroin's Children," so that should give a clue about what the topic will be. There are plenty of videos and TV shows about the violence surrounding the drug trade. Do a simple search. Google can help you.
That was the Clinton's and the Democrats who created the crack epidemic. Then the pill mill opioid epidemic started in the late 90's (during the Clinton's rein.) Then Obama fueled the heroin and fentanyl epidemic by the disguise of a crackdown against Doctors and Prescriptions but all while allowing synthetic opioids to pour through the open borders at record numbers. It seem like the same trend is continuing with Congress today. They make a lot of money off of human suffering.
Did u conveniently forget about Reagan's gargantuan role in the crack epidemic?
Lynette Rice as well as 2000-2008 in the herion epidemic.
this is awful. these kids break my heart i wish i could give them the biggest hugs so full of love they can’t handle it, this hurts my heart so bad. i wish these parents would make better choices for their children.
When the doctor says ‘the person who serves you is addict, the person who works on your car is an addict, the person who works on your landscaping is an addict’. The big thing he is missing out is that people in higher up professions are also addicts, even doctors.
As a mom this breaks my heart! I KNOW how much these moms loves their kids. Addiction destroys so much.. I hate what it’s doing to these families! Breaks my heart - completely.💔
This is why I recovered. I never want to put my beloved son through that, ever. My sister died 2 1/2 years ago from an overdose. She left behind two lovely children. I myself was a new parent of a 4 month old. I have to stay sober for them and my son.
I wish there was like a foundation or something that I could donate to, to help that Grandma raise her 4 grandkids 😭
She's an amazing woman. I agree
If someone finds out she has a gofundme or something please post it here. I don't have much but would love to give what I can to help her and those girls.
Definitely
She didnt ask.
Heroin is not a demon... it is a mind altering chemical which is highly addictive... with catastrophic consequences.
Will Buff well for some this is enough to call addiction a demon.
You don't know how demons work
Yeah, the journalist is a jackass
Yeah also a demon
It turns them into demons sacrificing their life for the drug thats how powerful it is. . It is EVIL. The most evil drug I've ever come across. Not having it and my blood boiling and sweating then when its in uour hands the sweating and blood boiling goes away just FROM HOLDING it. It is EVIL
The sounds of the children on the 911 call literally just broke my heart...my heart hurts
Glad they actually getting some help.. They handled the crack epidemic soooo wrong... Criminalozing victims..
God those 4 little sisters are so beautiful, most beautiful things ive seen.....it gets me sad when i see the pain in their little faces....god how i wish i could do something for them.....i got two little girls of my own....it breaks my heart to see them like that.
To those raising their grandkids, nieces/nephew, siblings, cousins etc., you’ve got this!!!!! Y’all are stronger than y’all think y’all are. God bless y’all
Grandma gets it. God bless her and those beautiful little ladies. 👽👁
My heart goes out to all of these children and all the families.
Not because of drugs but my health issues my dad and grandma help my husband and I with our children and I am so very thankful for the wonderful family I have to help me and bless all you grandparents and family who is taking on helping or raising them kiddos. You truly are a god send.