HOPE, Ind. (WHDH) — After a photo of her heroin overdose went viral, an Indiana woman says it was the motivation she needed to get her life together and is now celebrating a year of sobriety.
According to Fox 59, officers released a photo of Erika Hurt back in 2016, which showed the young mother passed out behind the wheel of a car with a syringe in her hand, while her 10-month-old son cried in the back seat.
Officers were able to revive Hurt with Narcan, and she was taken to the hospital. She was later arrested and charged with child neglect and possession of drug paraphernalia.
However, Hurt says she decided to use the “absolute worst moment” as motivation to begin the road to recovery. Now, Hurt says she is now celebrating a year of sobriety.
Hurt shared the “painful” photo, along with current photos of she and her son.
“I’ve decided to repost the picture simply because it displays exactly what heroin addiction is. Also because I do not want to ever forget where the road of addiction has taken me,” she wrote in her post.
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“Today, I am able to focus on the good that came from that picture. Today, I am a mother to my son, again. Today, I am able to be grateful to actually have solid proof where addiction will only lead you, and today I am able to say that I am ONE YEAR SOBER!” she wrote.
Hurt said she did not go through recovery alone, but she had a large support group to help her along the way.
Hurt also plans on keeping the viral photo as another motivator to stay sober, Fox 59 reports.
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