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“I was brokenhearted thinking that my son had chosen drugs over me”.
By Andrea Salzbrunn We were sitting in a local restaurant, one that we
had been too many times over the years, but this time was much different. My husband and I waited impa- tiently in silence, wondering if my son would show up. It had been weeks since I had seen him, hugged him, and touched him. We didn’t know if my son was still alive. Then catching sight of him coming through the door, it was all I could do not to completely fall apart.
He was smiling, big of course, but that’s my sweet boy, but it became ap- parent that living out of his truck was not easy. He tried to pull himself to- gether, but to us it was obvious by his wrinkled clothes and the strong smell of cologne, that he was trying hard to cover up the fact that he had not show- ered. He hugged us, first my husband and then me, and I held on for a long, long time, so thankful that he was there. Sitting at the table, seeing the dark circles under his eyes and his stained fingers from his drug use, I was
ings before Jake called and requested treatment. Today I get to see his bright eyes and warm smile as Jake celebrates his third year of sobriety. The Center’s Parent Support Group facilitated, by Andrea
Salzbrunn, is a free community service that meets Tuesdays @ 6pm. 43397 Business Park Drive D6, Temecula. Andrea Salzbrunn CPC, RRW can be contact at (951)218-7198. If you or someone you know has a child that struggles with substance dependency, there is help available.
The Importance of CPR – The Brennan Story
After a long search in her Morgan Hill neighborhood, Alicia Brennan,
44, spotted the man mowing the lawn. “It’s him!” she thought to herself. She did not know his name, but she was on a mission. “Thanks for helping me save my husband’s life!” she said hugging him and handing over a basket of goodies. A few weeks earlier, Alicia’s husband, Jacob, 43, announced he was
going for a jog. He normally ran alone, but this time Alicia decided to join him and walk their dogs while their three teenagers stayed at home. After jogging a few miles, Jacob became very tired. They decided to turn back toward home. Alicia thought she saw Jacob trip as he walked ahead of her. He suddenly collapsed and landed on the sidewalk face down. Jacob was bleeding heavily – it turned out he had broken his nose – and he was not responding. During the next few minutes Alicia was able to remain calm: she
called 911, got help from a passerby and his daughter, and started per- forming CPR compressions. Another neighbor approached them and took over the CPR compressions as Alicia increasingly panicked. She was terrified. When the paramedics arrived they lead her away before applying the AED that got Jacob’s pulse back. Doctors later told them that plaque had ruptured and clogged
struggling to fight back the tears. I am a mother, created to protect and care for my children. How could I allow my child to live like this: homeless, using and dirty? The emotional tight rope we were on, through our son’s addiction was
heartbreaking. Though the decision had been made to have a drug free home, I loved my boy and could not bear the thought of cutting all ties. It was this mindset that had brought us to the restaurant that day. Several months prior, we had again offered our son help with his addiction. He re- fused. It was then that we had conveyed our heart and the simple truth that we were no longer able to continue living life as it was. “We want you here with us, we love you very much, but we can no longer have drugs or drug use in our home. If it is your choice to use drugs, then you have chosen to live somewhere else.” This was not a punishment, this was not an angry re- sponse to an emotionally charged argument, it was loving parents surren- dering the fight and offering a choice. It was only a few weeks later that our son left our home following a drug related arrest. I cried as I watched him throw some clothes into a bag and walk out. I was heartbroken, thinking my son had chosen drugs over me. During the time that Jake was living homeless, we remained tender to
our need to stay in contact. This was not easy, knowing he was still using drugs daily and living in his truck. It took many more phone calls and meet-
Jacob’s artery. He was having the type of heart attack also known as “the widow maker.” During the first 24 hours after the cardiac incident, doctors did not know the extent of Jacob’s neurological damage, but because Alicia performed CPR so quickly, she not only saved his life, the damage cause by the lack of oxygen travelling to the brain was greatly diminished. Nearly 383,000 out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrests occur annu-
ally in the United States, and 88 percent of cardiac arrests occur at home. If someone is trained to perform CPR, the lives they can save will most likely be a loved one. Effective bystander CPR provided immedi- ately after sudden cardiac arrest can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival, but only 32 percent of cardiac arrest victims get CPR from a bystander, according to the American Heart Association. Jacob has learned his condition is genetic and not really related to
his lifestyle, a fact that he shares those around him. “I am now the heart ambassador for my family and friends. They could not believe someone like me, active and not obese, would suffer a heart attack. All of my family is getting checked out, and it has been a wakeup call for my friends.” Today Jacob reads all the nutrition labels of the food he eats and is
especially aware of his intake of sodium and fats. He is also aware that, with the help of strangers, his wife’s knowledge of CPR saved his life. “She reminds me enough times!” he jokes.
APRIL 2015
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