This past May, Mark, a long-time member of the art group, was in a terrible accident. He was struck by a car which caused severe head trauma, and he was placed in a medically induced coma. The doctors did not know if he would pull through. The youth in the art group were devastated. Mark is like a brother to them so the thought of losing him was unbearable.
Prior to his accident, Mark had been living on and off the streets for more than 5 years. His addiction was very powerful and controlled most aspects of his life. Despite this, he was a beautiful person and a talented artist. It was so painful to watch addiction control his life.
It was equally painful to see Mark once he woke up from the coma. He was unable to speak or move and the doctors did not know whether these effects would be permanent. Mark stayed in the hospital for several months. But after a lot of work and treatment, Mark has regained most functions. He can now walk and move like normal and his speech has improved immensely. His accident has left him with several deficits but he continues to improve every day. His progress over the past 5 months has been truly miraculous to watch.
Mark’s dad brought him to art group recently to see his old friends. They greeted him with hugs and tears. It’s hard to know how much Mark remembers, as his memory has been affected by the accident. But Mark remembers his old life of using drugs, and he gets really frustrated with himself. He often says “I used to do really bad stuff. I was so stupid.” His peers, who remain controlled by addiction, comforted him by saying “You weren’t stupid man; you were just in a dark place.” Another said “Yeah, and you’re free now! You’re so lucky to be free.”
These youth were looking at Mark longing for the kind of freedom from addiction that he has. In this moment, I saw a glimpse of just how strong the clutches of addiction can be.
-Moira
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