In this episode with Colleen Michaelis and James McClenahan we discuss Shatterproof which has become a National Force for families who are dealing with addiction and need help and support.
Colleen talks about her experience with Shatterproof last year and the incredible support their family received after their sons Tommy McClenahans death.
In 4 1/2 weeks they raised over $ 11.000 and were the second largest fundraiser for Shatterproof in Dallas. Parents, students and teachers of the school Colleen teaches at, as well as many friends participated.
The speakers at the event had a humongous impact on the kids and several 5th graders did their year end projects on addiction.
Colleen is proud that they are spreading the word in little bits and pieces.
Colleen spoke to a book club about Dopesick and tells us that none of the parents knew the link from hydrocodone to heroin.
She was also interviewed by the Dallas Morning News about the Han Gil hotel after it was raided. Rick Calvert the federal prosecutor came out to speak to everyone in Coppell, TX about this situation.
The Han Gil, once a nursing home and then a hellhole off Royal Lane only blocks from Herbert Marcus Elementary, was a place where meth and coke were manufactured and sold. Where women were trafficked. Where people were beaten, burned and shot. Where young men and women overdosed, their corpses dumped in faraway locations.
Even though there is no proof that Tommy was ever at this hotel, but the story is important to get out how disruptive and awful addiction is.
The Coppell Police contacted Rick Calvert because 3 kids from Coppell died and the drugs were traced back to the Han Gil Hotel. When it got raided 80 % of the license plates of the cars there were from Coppell.
The district got a lot of backlash when Rick Calvert came to speak because it made a lot of people uncomfortable. Parents were upset that now their children would know where to go to get drugs.
Colleen says No - now they are armed with the knowledge where to stay away from.
She tells us how she talks to as many students possible and how she was interviewed by Michael Molthan from M2 The Rock and he came out on Team Tommy Day and how incredibly powerful and special that was.
We learn that now the drug dealer gets charged with manslaughter if someone dies of an overdose.
Colleen tells us when she personally met Nic and David Scheff from the movie Beautiful Boy. She got to tell them about Tommy and their mission to end the stigma.
Colleen highly recommends that every child from the ages of 12 on and their parents read the book "HIGH" Everything you want to know about drugs, alcohol and addiction.
If we educate kids they are going to be armed with information when they are faced with the decision. Colleen wants every school district to adopt this book for mandatory reading.
97% of heroin users started with a prescription medication, which was either prescribed to them, or taken from a friend or someones medicine cabinet.
Colleen shows us her new tattoo and reads us a letter she just found that Tommy wrote to her when he was 19 years old and in his first rehab treatment center.
It is beyond powerful and Colleen is so incredibly brave to share this letter with everyone. She wants other parents going through this to know that it is not their fault and not to let guilt consume them.
We are in awe of Colleen and James's special friendship and how they have managed to support each other through the worst of times as ex spouses. Colleen says that everyone wants someone to blame, yet that is not going to bring Tommy back.
Colleen is very thankful to all the people that have allowed her to speak, their family and friends, their community and her school district.
She is happy to say that we as a nation are becoming more aware.
You can find Colleen on facebook under Colleen Michaelis and on instagram under coll727.