As Beth Macy’s book “Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors and the Drug Company that Addicted America” unfolds, we meet many families, community leaders and healthcare providers that were directly impacted by the opioid epidemic in Virginia. As the crisis emerged, families didn’t know where to turn for help. On today’s podcast, Janine Underwood shares the story of her son, Bobby Baylis’, 7 year battle with opioid dependence and her efforts to transform how people find help in their community.

Bobby was prescribed OxyContin after surgery to repair his ACL following a snowboarding accident. For the next few years, he struggled with opioids and even ended up in prison. This episode features the story of his struggles to recover and his family’s ground breaking work to help others avoid their same fate through the Roanoke Valley Hope Initiative. Hear how this community came together to develop a special program that has helped hundreds of people find recovery from SUD.