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"I don't say I wish I'd done this or
that differently. What I say is that I did the
best that I could with the knowledge that I had
at the time. I tell people when they ask that I
didn't cause it, couldn't control it and
couldn't cure it."
"I wasn't completely unaware. I had him
drug tested in high school. How many moms would
do that? But Ian was very good at fooling us.
And I wanted to believe. That's how denial
works."
"At college Ian began to use first
cocaine, then heroin. Three friends tried
heroin. One got sick. One got scared. And Ian
liked it. Remember, they're not using a needle,
these college kids. They're snorting it, not
shooting it which makes them think it's not such
a major thing."
"Ian hid his pain. I tell all the kids,
"Get it out! Don't bury it! There are people out
there able to help. If you can talk to your
parents, do so. If not, find three adults you
can trust who will help you sort things out".
"You are powerless at a certain point
... and he's saying, 'I have to do this myself.
You have to let me do it. Don't search my room.
Don't do anything. Just let me handle it.' You
pray that he will realize he's in trouble and
come for help. They've got to do that. You can
lock a kid up and in thirty days, he'll be back
on the street again doing drugs. That's why
prevention is so important. We've got to reach
kids before they get hooked."
"Ian looked so well that he fooled
everyone. That last summer, the doctor had put
him on Clonadine and after we picked up the
prescription, we went to a deli for lunch and
the owner kept telling me what a beautiful son I
had. And it's true. He was a gorgeous kid. I'm
watching him take this medication to keep him
off heroin and I'm thinking this can't be
happening."
"Drug dealers on campus target the
popular kids. "Mom, it's a smorgasbord of drugs
at school," Ian told me. "If you don't have the
money, they give it to you for free until you're
hooked."
"We've gotten thousands of responses
from kids and from parents and since I have
tremendous support in the community, I've been
able to connect them with the right people. Kids
do open their hearts to me and I will say,
'Here's the number of someone who can help. Will
you call this person?' and so often, they do."
"I always think that maybe something I
say will be what some kid remembers when he is
at that crossroad. So instead of making the
wrong decision, he'll walk away safe because my
talking about Ian was real to him."
Please click
here to read Ginger's major accomplishments
and awards, speaking invitations and media
recognitions she has received.
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"When Ginger finishes
her presentation, I try to fill in
whatever she might have left out. Each presentation
is different because this is such an emotional
experience. Mostly, I talk about my relationship
with Ian and I tell the kids how much parents really
love their children."
"Parents need to know what's really
happening. What younger kids are doing today, the
older ones don't even know. Prescription pills,
inhalants. The stuff in a typical kitchen cabinet
can kill your kid. He puts a bag over his head,
breathes the stuff in and it causes brain damage and
death."
"It's very difficult reliving this over
and over again, but after every presentation, we get
feedback that the kids are listening to us so that
makes it even more important to continue." |
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