Fighting a culture of drug abuse: Gemma’s story

“Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground.” – Ephesians 6:10-13

Our next home visit was with Gemma, 9-year-old Heaven, and 6-year-old Jasper. Gemma told me all about their family’s makeup. She was actually the aunt of the kids, though Heaven called her sissy and Jasper called her mom. Though they were her brother’s children, she had the eldest since she was just 1.5 years old and Jasper since only five days old. Gemma’s brother and the children’s mother were addicted to drugs and had used while pregnant with Jasper, contributing to his behavior issues. They simply had no desire to have kids and dropped him off on her doorstep after they left the hospital. They had done the same with Heaven years earlier. Though the two lived together as siblings, I came to find out that they had three more who were living with Gemma’s nana.

Drug abuse had destroyed this family, but not only from this situation. Gemma shared how her mom had used starting at 14 years old. She, too, abused drugs while pregnant with Gemma. As such, Gemma was born with a handicap and her arms were not fully developed. Gemma lamented to me the effect drugs had on her family and her body with her handicap. In addition to the brother whose kids she took in, she had a younger brother who was in and out of a halfway house and jail and both her parents were on and off users.

Drugs are rampant in Harlan County and have furthered the poverty line. Yet Gemma, deeply affected by them, fights for her family daily. She fights for her niece and nephew to break the cycle, to give them better opportunities and a different life that she was offered. How heavy her pain and the extreme loss she suffered – both physically and emotionally. How hard she worked to take care of the children who were not her own, following in her nana’s footsteps. The courage and fortitude she demonstrated were immense; but Gemma was tired. She couldn’t work with her condition and had to put food on the table for two children she loved dearly. Two children who came with much trauma and mental handicaps because of the selfishness of their parents. Yet, she knew their pain and fought to break the cycle.

Once again, before we left the home visit, another one of the high school students with me prayed for the family. A beautiful outpouring of love occurred in that living room. As we got in the car and I began explaining the situation to the students, who had been busy playing with the kids while Gemma unraveled her life story, it fell silent. This life was different than they had experienced, and I could see it click on each of the students’ faces as they realized the gravity of what these children would face. Not far from their own age and not more than a few hours away, these children faced a different reality of life. They also had a lack of options to change their situation.

I began explaining to the girls what Crystal had shared with me moments earlier: the only jobs in the area were restaurants and stores. She thought it was fascinating that I worked in marketing – she had never met anyone in that profession. Truthfully, she had met very few people with a skilled profession or office work. Outside of coal mining, which had decreased significantly in the area, minimum wage jobs were the only option for work and often, there were little to no jobs available. The economy here is dead and further declining.

The economy is dead. As I put that into perspective, it was chilling. I thought of the children. The children we had met today didn’t have a drive to learn in school because they weren’t leaving this area. No one left. They didn’t need a higher education – they just needed basic skills to work at Pizza Hut or a Car Wash or Walmart. How can you find drive when that is the expectation? No wonder they fall to drugs and other vices. There is no economy here. There are no dreams. There is no hope of a greater life. How heartbreaking.

*Some names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals.