A10 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2015 FROM PAGE A1 LIFE: continued from page A1 support services, she knows she cannot give up. ³, IHHO OLNH WKH\ GLGQ¶W stop, so I can’t stop,” Mes- senger said. “I have to keep going.” 6KH KRSHV PRUH SHRSOH ZLOOMRLQWKH¿JKWGXULQJWKH WKDQQXDO5HOD\)RU/LIH of Hermiston event June 26 and June 27 at the Armand /DULYH 0LGGOH 6FKRRO WUDFN7KLV\HDU¶V5HOD\IRU /LIH RI +HUPLVWRQ IRFXV is “What is Your Hope in 2015?” Messenger said. From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. -XQHLQWKH$UPDQG/DU- LYH DX[LOLDU\ J\P SHRSOH can bid on various items LQ D VLOHQW DXFWLRQ IHDWXU- LQJ HYHU\WKLQJ IURP SODQWV to potatoes to baskets that teams have made. Opening ceremonies begin at 6 p.m., during which this year’s JUDQG PDUVKDOV \HDU ROG 0DWHR 5RFNZHOO ZKR ZDVGLDJQRVHGDVDWRGGOHU ZLWK WHVWLFXODU FDQFHU DQG KLV PRWKHU 1DWDVKD ZLOO speak. At about 6:30 p.m. WKH RYHUQLJKW ZDON ZLOO EHJLQ ODVWLQJ WKURXJK WKH night. At 7 p.m. is a survi- ADAMS: continued from page A1 her away from other drugs. Methamphetamine became her drug of choice, howev- er, at the age of 19. ³,W ZDV GH¿QLWHO\ peer-driven,” Adams said. ³,XVHGWRKDYHKDOIWKHKLJK VFKRROLQP\IURQWGRRUDQG out the back every day.” $OWKRXJK $GDPV UH- members happy times in KHUFKLOGKRRGVKHVDLGKHU OLIH ZDV VKDSHG E\ WUDX- matic events. She said she ZDVPROHVWHGDVDFKLOGDQG raped at age 19. She turned to drugs as an escape. “I’ve been angry over the years, but as I became DQ DGXOW , KDG WR DFFHSW those things happened to me and move on,” she said. After abusing meth- amphetamine and being a prostitute to make money ZKLOH LQ &DOLIRUQLD $G- DPV VDLG VKH JRW FOHDQ IRU WKH ¿UVW WLPH LQ KHU OLIH and she stayed sober from 2000 to 2009, during which time she moved back to the Hermiston area and got a good job. ³,UHODSVHGDZHHNVKRUW of doing my nine years,” she said. YRUGLQQHUKRVWHGE\/LQGD 0LOOHUZKRFROOHFWVFDQVDOO year to raise money to host WKH PHDO IRU FDQFHU VXUYL- vors and their caregivers. About 100 survivors and FDUHJLYHUVZHUHVHUYHGODVW year, Messenger said. “It’s just the way that we KRQRUWKHPIRUWKH¿JKWWKDW they are doing,” she said. Messenger said the HYHQW ZLOO DOVR IHDWXUH activities throughout the QLJKW LQFOXGLQJ WKHPHG ODSV 2QH WHDP LV KRVWLQJ WKH &KLFNHQ 'DQFH IRU D ODS DQG DQRWKHU WHDP¶V WKHPHG ODS LV WKH &LYLO War — University of Ore- gon vs. Oregon State Uni- versity. During the themed ODSV SHRSOH GUHVV XS DQG LQWHUSUHW WKH ODSV WKH ZD\ they think the teams en- YLVLRQHG WKHP DQG SUL]HV are awarded. $W SP ZLOO EH WKH OXPLQDULD ZKHUH FDQGOHV DUH OLW DQG SODFHG LQWR SD- per bags in remembrance of SHRSOH ZKR KDYH ORVW WKHLU ¿JKWZLWKFDQFHU $W PLGQLJKW WKHUH ZLOO EH SL]]D SDUW\ ZLWK 3DSD 0XUSK\ SL]]DV DQG WKH movie theater has donat- ed bags of popcorn to ac- FRPSDQ\ WKH ¿OPV VKRZQ $GDPVVDLGVKHIHOOEDFN into the habit after she be- FDPHOD[ZLWKKHUUHFRYHU\ — she started making poor choices — stopping off at WKH EDU IRU D JODVV RI ZLQH DIWHUZRUNDQGOLYLQJZLWK someone who was using methamphetamine. She said she found a meth pipe in her house one night when she had too much to drink and decided to take a hit. It was empty H[FHSWIRUWKHGUXJUHVLGXH That was enough and she got hooked again. “I’ve been angry with P\VHOI HYHU VLQFH´ VKH said. Fred Widman, direc- WRU RI 5HOLDQW 6HUYLFHV D FHUWL¿HG GUXJ DOFRKRO DQG PHQWDO KHDOWK WUHDWPHQW FHQWHU LQ 8PDWLOOD &RXQW\ said being determined to VWD\ FOHDQ LV DQ LPSRUWDQW part of recovery. Recov- ery, he said, depends on WKH LQGLYLGXDO DQG SHRSOH PXVW VWD\ YLJLODQW LQ WKHLU efforts. He said recovering addicts must practice con- WLQXHG VHOIFDUH DOZD\V UHDVVHVV WKHLU JRDOV DQG EH forward-thinking. As part RI WKH FRQWLQXHG VHOIFDUH QRWDVVRFLDWLQJZLWKSHRSOH or things that may cause a UHODSVHLVNH\ )URPWRDPWKHUHZLOO EHD&RRNLH0RQVWHUSDUW\ 7KH 5RXQGXS &LW\ &ORJ- JHUV ZLOO DOVR SHUIRUP $W 10 a.m. June 27 the event FRQFOXGHV ZLWK WKH /HWWHUV to Heaven ceremony, where SHRSOH VHQG RII WKHLU PHV- VDJHV DQG KRSHV E\ UHOHDV- LQJEDOORRQV Messenger said the event is open to everyone, even if they are not members of a team. ³,W LV D IDPLO\ HYHQW DOO QLJKWORQJDQGZHHQFRXU- age anybody and every- body to come,” she said. The money raised by the teams and at the event goes toward cancer research, gas cards for patients and fam- LOLHV KRWHO VWD\V IRU SHR- SOH ZKR KDYH WR WUDYHO WR receive treatment and the ³/RRN %HWWHU )HHO *RRG´ SURJUDP ZKLFK EHQH¿WV breast cancer patients. The PRQH\ UDLVHG DOVR JRHV WR VXSSRUWLQJDQDWLRQDOSKRQH number, where, at any time of day or night, somebody FDQFDOODQGVSHDNWRVRPH- one about cancer or have WKHLU TXHVWLRQV DQVZHUHG That phone number is 800- 227-2345. $WWKHHYHQWSHRSOHFDQ ZDONDURXQGWKHWUDFNZLWK WKH UHOD\ WHDPV DQG JHW more information and sign XSIRUQH[W\HDU¶VWHDPV “Even though the event LVRYHUWKHQH[WPRUQLQJDW DPZHVWLOOUDLVHPRQ- H\XQWLO$XJ´0HVVHQ- ger said. “It’s a great oppor- WXQLW\ IRU SHRSOH WR ¿QG out what we do and what we’re about.” 6KH VDLG WKLV \HDU ZLOO EH HVSHFLDOO\ SRLJQDQW IRU KHU EHFDXVH LW ZLOO EH WKH ¿UVW \HDU ZLWKRXW KHU PRWKHUZKRORVWKHUEDWWOH WR FDQFHU HDUOLHU WKLV \HDU 6KHVDLG5HOD\IRU/LIHRI +HUPLVWRQ DOVR ORVW PHP- ber Nancy Brown to can- cer. ³,W¶V JRLQJ WR EH D OLWWOH bit harder of a year for our UHOD\ IDPLOLHV MXVW EHFDXVH RI WKH ORVVHV ZH KDYH KDG EXWEHFDXVHRIWKRVHORVVHV LWPDNHVXVZDQWWR¿JKWD OLWWOHELWKDUGHU´0HVVHQJHU said. 7ROHDUQPRUHDERXW5H- OD\ IRU /LIH RI +HUPLVWRQ or how to donate or par- WLFLSDWH YLVLW ZZZUHOD\- IRUOLIHRUJKHUPLVWRQRU RU FDOO0HVVHQJHUDW 1405. “In recovery, it’s very important to surround your- VHOI ZLWK OLNHPLQGHG SHR- SOH´ KH VDLG DGGLQJ SHR- SOH GHDOLQJ ZLWK DGGLFWLRQ VKRXOGDOVRKROGWKHPVHOYHV DFFRXQWDEOH DQG DVVRFLDWH ZLWK SHRSOH ZKR ZLOO DOVR KHOSWKHPVWD\DFFRXQWDEOH $IWHU UHODSVLQJ $GDPV said she was sober off and RQ DQG LQ WURXEOH ZLWK WKH ODZ RII DQG RQ DV ZHOO This year, she was given the chance to go into drug treat- ment, and she agreed. She said the turning point came ZKHQ VKH UHDOL]HG O\LQJ WR WKHMXGJHDQGKHUSDUROHRI- ¿FHUWRRNWRRPXFKHIIRUW “Everybody’s rock bottom is different, but when you don’t have the strength any- PRUHWRNHHSO\LQJ,NQHZLW was time,” Adams said. Adams entered Bak- er House of New Direc- WLRQV 1RUWK LQ %DNHU &LW\ in February and spent 64 GD\V LQ UHVLGHQWLDO WUHDW- ment. During that time, her VFKHGXOH ZDV KHDYLO\ UH- VWULFWHG DQG KHU GD\V ¿OOHG ZLWKFODVVHVDQGFRXQVHOLQJ sessions. “I don’t know how I made it through the pro- gram,” she said. “There ZHUH D FRXSOH RI WLPHV , ZDQWHGWROHDYH´ 5HJXODUSKRQHFDOOVZLWK her mother, however, and the desire to get, and stay, FOHDQKHOSHGKHUSHUVHYHUH Adams said. When she got out in $SULO$GDPVVDLGVKHNQHZ she had to make changes LQ KHU OLIH EHJLQQLQJ ZLWK VHSDUDWLQJKHUVHOIIURPEDG RXWVLGHLQÀXHQFHV$VDUH- VXOWVKHLV¿OOHGZLWKRSWL- mism about her future. “This time, I’ve got a good head start because of drug treatment,” she said. +RZ ORQJ WKH UHFRYHU\ process takes is hard to say, :LGPDQ VDLG DQG SHRSOH overcoming addiction need WRDOZD\VVWD\YLJLODQW ³$FFRXQWDELOLW\ DQG consistency is key,” he said. $GDPVVDLGVKHLVVORZ- O\ JHWWLQJ KHU OLIH EDFN RQ WUDFN 6KH KDV D MRE GHOLY- ering newspapers. She is VWD\LQJ LQ D ORFDO VKHOWHU 6KHKDVDUHODWLRQVKLSDJDLQ ZLWK KHU ROGHVW VRQ ZKR LV DOVR SXVKLQJ KHU WR VWD\ FOHDQ 7KDW UHODWLRQVKLS DQG the desire to see her other FKLOGUHQ DQG UHXQLWH DV DQ HQWLUH IDPLO\ DUH NHHSLQJ her going, Adams said. “I just have to want it, and I want it so bad this time,” she said. “I know I can do it.” :LGPDQDOVRVDLGSHRSOH VKRXOGQRWUXVKWKHUHFRYHU\ process. Adams said when she got out of the treatment FHQWHUKHU¿UVWLPSXOVHZDV to try and contact her other FKLOGUHQ LQ &DOLIRUQLD EXW RWKHU IDPLO\ PHPEHUV LQ- FOXGLQJ KHU VRQ XUJHG KHU to wait. Widman said this is good advice. “What I see in my posi- tion is everyone wants ev- erything back so fast,” he said. “I say, ‘Don’t get too ZHOO WRR TXLFN¶ , VD\ µ%H patient. It’s a process.’ ” Widman said to be suc- FHVVIXO LQ UHFRYHU\ LW LV LPSRUWDQW IRU SHRSOH RYHU- coming addiction to be pa- tient because their brains DUH KHDOLQJ ² GHYHORSLQJ QHZ QHXURORJLFDO SDWK- ways. “I’ve worked with 5,000 SHRSOHZKRDUHWU\LQJWRJHW sober, and that’s the biggest RQH WKDW , VHH SHRSOH JHW in too much of a hurry,” he said. HERALD FILE PHOTO Hermiston Relay for Life 2013 grand marshals Lisa Nino, pictured center left, and Angela Mer- cado, center right, lead the survivor lap around the Armand Larive Middle School track during last year’s event. This year, the grand marshals will be Mateo Rockwell, 8, a testicular cancer survivor, and his mother, Natasha. The event will take place from June 26 through June 27. priorities A hundred years from now it will not matter what My bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove... but the world may be different because I was important in the Life of a Child. YOU’RE INVITED TO A MEDICARE BIRTHDAY PARTY! Are you turning 65 between now and the end of September? If so, we would love to see you! Join us for a FREE and fun event & learn more about Medicare • The basics of Medicare • Your rights & responsibilities • Social Security & Disability Benefits Saturday, June 27 10am-1pm GSMC Conference Center #1 Sponsored by: Good Shepherd Medical Center SHIBA Office Questions? Call 541-667-3507 or hosborne@gshealth.org WHAT ENERGY SAVINGS AWAIT YOUR HOME? LET’S FIND OUT. Start by doing a free online Home Energy Review from Energy Trust of Oregon. You’ll get customized energy-saving recommendations and learn all kinds of ways to get more from your energy. Plus Energy Trust can help you with cash incentives and finding a trade ally contractor for your home energy project. + Get more from your energy. Visit www.energytrust.org/start or call us at 1.866.368.7878. Serving customers of Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, NW Natural and Cascade Natural Gas.