Jesse Morella, 19, was involved in an event that changed his life. It was November 2004 when he suffered a drug overdose of heroin. He is now a quadriplegic in a wheelchair after suffering severe and irreversible brain damage. His mother uses his story to help educate kids and parents about the dangers of drugs and started Jesse’s Journey.
Jesse’s Journey is an example of what drug use can cause. Parents: it is important to know your child's activities, thoughts and interest in experimentation BEFORE they do so. Follow them! On Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or by Car. It's a tough job and our children are worth it. They need a solid rock of a PARENT-not another friend.Mrs. Morella and Taylor Morella, Jesse’s brother, visit schools and communities to give their experience about what happened to Jesse. It is an interesting program to have Mrs. Morella and Taylor go around communities and schools to get the word out about drugs and alcohol and how they can really affect your life. They take Jesse with them on the wheelchair to show students and parents how much making the wrong choice can affect your life forever. Mrs. Morella demonstrates her understanding as a parent that the kids will try to hide their drug life from their parents and that as kids, you shouldn’t hide it. If you keep it a secret, you might end up in a similar situation as Jesse. Taylor took a different approach and talked to the kids on a teenager level. He stated that he understood the pressure experimenting with drugs brings to a kid’s life and tells the kids that they are not alone. Taylor offers his help as contact in case anybody needs someone to talk to. Mrs. Morella and Taylor also show pictures and videos about Jesse and everything that has happened to him.
As I am reading the New York Times article about Jesse’s story, it made me think about how fast your life can turn a complete 180°. Jesse helped teach catechism classes, coached a recreational league basketball team, and loved to drive in his car. Now, he can’t do anything because of the damage that the overdose has done to him. He cannot move his arms or legs and he cannot speak. He was 16 at the time when it happened and now he has to live this way for the rest of his life. To think that something like a drug overdose can really affect your life, yet people still do drugs.
According to the New York Times article, heroin usage in New York and New Jersey is increasing dramatically. The National Drug Intelligence Center has stated that heroin can go along side with cocaine as the most serious drug threats in New York. Medical experts have stated that the more young adults use heroin, the more they end up in jail, hospital emergency room, or the morgue. Hospital emergency room visits caused by heroin use has increased rapidly and that 1 in every 6 arrests were from heroin.
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So is it worth it? Is it worth to throw your whole life away because of a drug overdose? Is it worth to make a bad decision that could affect your health? It may not happen the first or second time, but there is a good chance it could happen. So would you risk it?
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Reference: New York Times Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/13/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/13heroinnj.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
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Contributed by: Jessica Choo. I am a student volunteer at the Wayne Alliance. I am a Applied Health major with a Psychology minor at William Paterson University. I am working with Ms. Gulino and the Wayne Alliance to help promote and educate about drug and alcohol prevention.
