- Drugs
My daughter Jennifer Rose was a beautiful, young and smart girl and had just turned twenty when she died on May 9, 2014. She was my, and my husband’s, only child.
Jenny was born in Broomall, PA and moved to West Chester, PA on her thirteenth birthday. We built a new, beautiful house for our small family. Jenny started in a new middle school. She had everything a young girl her age could want. We provided her with a good life that included ski trips, vacations to the Caribbean and vacations to Europe and Poland, where I’m from.
I noticed her bad behavior and bought the first home drug test in March 2009. She was about 14 years old when I found out she was smoking pot. We talked to her about consequences of drug use, but her worst problems were yet to come. The worst school year was her junior year of high school. She had bad grades, a bad attitude and problems with classmates. The school got involved, and Jenny had to attend an after-school rehab program.
Jenny was working at nursing home and a pizza shop. Her senior year at high school was getting even worse than her junior. She got a job in July 2011, and she truly loved it, but she was smoking pot excessively. I thought she was doing some pills as well, because her attitude and behavior were extremely bad. On January 13, 2012, she was on a school ski trip in Vermont, and because she got caught smoking pot, we had to drive there to pick her up. She was removed from school because of this and continued her education at special school for kids with “problems.”
During the summer of 2012, we went on a journey to Poland and Italy. She had pot with her there even though we asked her not to do anything like that. When we came back to the USA, Jenny went to work again, on third shift this time. We didn’t like it and asked her to change her shift. She started college, and one night I found her sleeping almost naked on the floor with the lights and TV on, and she didn’t know what was going on. She was high on mushrooms, and they were lying in a bag next to her. We told her she would not be going to school and needed to go to treatment. The next day she left home. She packed some of her clothes, took some stuff and left.
She moved out early September 2012 and come back home early November 2012. She looked like ghost. She was skinny, pale and stinky. She didn’t want to take a shower. I told her to call a treatment center and get help. She called but refused to go there, as she was already 18 years old. She moved out again after Thanksgiving 2012 and came back home early March 2013. She went with us on ski trip. Jenny really loved to go skiing. She paid for that trip with the money she earned from her work, but all other savings she had were gone.
From March 2013 until May 2013, she acted out. She left the house whenever she wanted without even locking the door. We found out later that her first arrest took place just after her nineteenth birthday. She was using Molly, cocaine, Xanax and Percocet at this time. Another arrest followed by jail time followed in June. We were notified about that arrest by her friends. We didn’t bail her out, but her friends did.
She finally listened to a good friend who is an interventionist and got into rehab in July 2013. Instead of going to a halfway house, Jenny came back home after rehab. She got a sponsor, went to support group meetings and did intensive outpatient therapy. She got 30, 60, 90-days clean time and was doing fine. I was so happy for her, talked to her about recovery and congratulated her.
In November 2013 my husband and I went on a cruise. Jenny was allowed to stay home because she had a court date coming up. She relapsed and had to go to another treatment program. We were devastated but still hoped for a better outcome. My husband and Jenny were involved with opening a hamburger store. Jenny start working at the store as a manager. She went to meetings and got a new sponsor. Her case got put on continue because either the police officer didn’t show up or didn’t send some paperwork. It was delayed until March 31.
Unfortunately Jenny got high again. We were very angry with her and wanted her to leave the house. She promised not to use anymore, but then she got high at work, at the store, so we put her back in rehab. This time we didn’t listen to Jenny’s excuses, and we decided to move her to the halfway house the treatment center recommended. Jenny went to rehab and stayed for treatment until March 27, 2014.
Her next court date was set for the March 31, and she was supposed to stay in rehab until her court date. While she was there, her lawyer called and was upset that Jenny left the state. I told her she left for treatment, not for a vacation, and that we found the best option out of state. They wanted Jenny to be back for court on April 17, but I refused to let her come home so early. She was too sick, and staying in treatment was better for her. It would be dangerous for her to come back. The lawyer called back to let me know the judge wouldn’t put her up for arrest and put the case on continue until May 8. Jenny had to come back on the seventh to show up at court. I asked if she could return to treatment the same day, but they told me it was not clear how long the court process might take. Jenny went to court and got two years’ probation. The next day was her birthday.
We sent her a text saying happy birthday, and she said she might stop home to see us. I told her we had gift and card for her, and she was happy to hear that. Unfortunately things and events turned bad. Jenny got in contact with another girl through Facebook and asked for drugs. Jenny got a car for a few hours from somebody, drove to pick up this girl, got drugs from their dealer and went and shot up drugs. When Jenny had a bad reaction, the other two girls ran out from the bathroom, leaving her there unconscious .
Around 9:45pm on May 9, I received phone call from the emergency room where they had Jenny. I drove there with my friend. I called her on my way, and she insisted on going with me. I never expected what was waiting there for me. My beautiful daughter was gone forever!
She lost her battle because the lawyer and judge wanted her to show up at court. The system doesn’t care about the sickness of a person, and they pulled her away from treatment. Nobody would stop a cancer patient from receiving treatment, but they do and did stop an addict. Jenny could be still alive if she continued to stay in treatment and the halfway house. We, as parents, are upset and angry about how the ”professionals” took care of Jenny Rose, a patient.
Jenny went to many meetings when she stayed at home with us, and she drove others there as well. She touched so many people of different ages. She had the most beautiful smile and warm heart, and she gave the biggest hugs. Instead of getting the right response and help, she had to interrupt her treatment and died as a consequence. We went to the police and filed charges.
Jenny will always be my beloved daughter. I wish she could have been saved. She was on the right path, trying and willing to find recovery and a drug-free life.