By Mark Hansel
NKyTribune managing editor
More than 100 people, many of whom have lost someone to addiction, attended a candlelight vigil at the Transitions Grateful Life Center in Erlanger Thursday.
Transitions Chief Executive Officer Jim Beiting said the organization will not stop until the crisis of addiction is eradicated in Northern Kentucky.
“Transitions is 100 percent committed to doing what we can do to end the crisis, to provide treatment on-demand, and to be the leader in providing good-quality treatment,” Beiting said. “When we answer that phone always being able to say ‘yes, come on in for treatment.’ That’s our absolute goal, to be there when people call.”
The vigil, which began in early evening and carried on well past dusk, included comments from those in recovery and some of the region’s most passionate advocates.
Kimberly Wright, who has been a Northern Kentucky advocate for several years, lost a nephew to addiction just last month. She emphasized the importance of having a Narcan kit available at all times.
“You can walk into any Northern Kentucky Health Department and get one and be trained on how to use it,” Wright said. “This is very important. A lot of times, people are finding somebody, they don’t have Narcan, they are panicking and they don’t know what to do.”
Narcan is a medication used to reverse the effects of opioids and revive someone experiencing an overdose.
“Jerry,” was placed in the Transitions Grateful Life Center by the department of corrections in 2011 for addiction treatment.
“Looking back on it today, it was a blessing in my life,” he said. “This disease needs to be spoken about nationwide. It’s an epidemic that continues to spread and it’s a tragedy that has taken lives, young lives.”
Jerry has become a strong advocate for addiction treatment as he continues his own recovery battle. He spoke of a friend that he recently lost to addiction.
“The tragedy is that he wanted this recovery just as much as I did and he didn’t have that opportunity,” he said.
Charlotte Wethington started working to change the system after her son Matthew “Casey” Wethington, died from a heroin overdose in 2002.
She initiated The Matthew Casey Wethington Act for Substance Abuse Intervention (Casey’s Law), which was enacted by the Kentucky General Assembly in 2004. It allows for the involuntary incarceration of someone who is addicted by a family member or loved one, without criminal charges.
She said she initiated the effort because she never wanted Casey to be forgotten.
“I wanted everyone to know that Casey was here and he mattered,” Wethingon said. “Everyone that we have lost mattered. We have a death board filled with people who mattered and that’s an important message that we need to get across to our community.”
As dusk turned to evening, those in attendance came up to the podium, lit a candle and shared a name, or a message, about the people, or persons, they had lost to addiction.
They formed a circle around the parking lot at Transitions Grateful Life Center and many wept or hugged each other as musicians played mournful music. Many attended the vigil last year and returned to show support, or in some cases, mourn other friends or family members they have lost.
Organizers of the event say they will continue to hold a candlelight vigil each year until the scourge of addiction is removed from the community.
For more information about Transitions Grateful Life Center or the organization’s other facilities and programs, click here.
Contact Mark Hansel at mark.hansel@nkytrib.com