Tonight, at 7pm EST, WBIR-TV in Knoxville, TN will premiere “Henry’s Story,” a 30 minute, commercial free special. The program tells the story of my son Henry’s life, struggle with addiction and his death from drugs on May 31, 2010. Henry was only 18 years old.
The WBIR special features interviews with many of the people who loved and knew Henry best, although obviously, it wasn’t possible to interview every single person who was important in Henry’s life. There are lots of people – grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles, teachers, friends and counselors who don’t actually appear in the show, but who loved Henry a lot and who were loved a lot in return.
I have watched the special in advance of its premiere tonight, and I think it’s beautifully done. One point it manages to make very well is that for Henry, particularly by the last 18 months of his life (9 months of which were spent in inpatient addiction treatment), there was nothing “fun” or happy about his drug abuse. It was no longer a situation where a teenage boy was partying with his friends or just looking to have some fun in a dangerous way.
By the last year or two of his short life – after Henry became involved with the prescription drugs that eventually killed him – Henry was physically and mentally addicted. Every day for him became a painful, depressing, terrible struggle to find a way to procure enough of the chemicals that day that would keep him from becoming very sick with withdrawal. He told me that once he started using the pills, he woke up every morning determined not to use that day, but went to sleep every night feeling like a complete failure.
I hope that viewers come away from watching Henry’s Story tonight understanding that drug addiction – real drug addiction like that which tormented my teenage son – is not a “lifestyle choice” that ANYONE would make. No teenage boy with a loving family, a good education and all the opportunity in the world ahead of him is CHOOSING to hang around outside of homeless shelters in the afternoons, trying to score a fix from other homeless people because that’s a fun thing to do. That “lifestyle” is not some sort of careless teenage partying (which is where his addiction started).
No, in fact Henry’s life as a drug addict was – for him – depressing, dangerous, humiliating, painful and ultimately, fatal. My teenager’s addiction pulled him away from everything he had known – loving parents and siblings, a comfortable home, good schools, family travel, music and community – and launched him into a frightening underworld of dangerous, cruel people and places who were able to prey on my child because he was both naive and desperate. He was sick. That’s all there was to it; Henry was very, very sick.
Please watch Henrys Story with your family tonight. It will air both on TV (WBIR Channel 10 in Knoxville) and also online (livestreamed at WBIR.com) starting TONIGHT at 7:00 pm EST. Because it’s going to be simulcast online at WBIR.com, that means you can watch it wherever you are in the world at the very same time those of us in the Knoxville area will be able to watch on TV.
I hope that Henry’s Story will inspire a new dialogue around the epidemic of prescription drug abuse and deaths in this community and across the country. The dialogue is the beginning; action comes next.
Thank you. Let me know in the comments below whether you plan to watch on TV or online, and PLEASE spread the word to everyone you know to join our family in viewing Henry’s Story tonight.
-Katie
107 Responses to “Tonight is the night for Henry’s Story to be told”
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I’ll be watching on tv. I’m going to DVR the program so my daughter can watch (she’s 13 and will not be home when it airs). Thank you Katie. Your sharing of this story will keep some other young person from this terrible path. I just know it will…
We will be watching this with our two pre-teen children tonight, online. I also posted the link on facebook as well as my personal blog. Thank you for having the courage and strength to share Henry’s story with us – it will make a difference.
Katie – I plan to watch tonight with my children.
RHF, I think that you somehow misunderstood. When Katie said
“No teenage boy with a loving family, a good education and all the opportunity in the world ahead of him is CHOOSING to hang around outside of homeless shelters in the afternoons, trying to score a fix from other homeless people because that’s a fun thing to do.”
she did not say anything at all about homeless people (other than Henry) and why they are homeless. I am betting that if Katie had expounded, she would have commented that all of the homeless people were there for reasons that they would not have chosen (mental health issues, alcoholism, poverty, domestic violence, etc). I think that it is very unfair to expect Katie to address everyone’s point of view in order to tell Henry’s story.
I agree with RHF. As a local resident in this area, it’s been interesting to see the story unfold and how it’s been handled in the media. Would this story be told of any other drug addict? And I think you’re right on target with pointing out the elitist language used to describe Henry — yes, I know he was someone’s child, yes I understand he was addicted to drugs, but he obviously made a series of incredibly wrong choices to end up so tragically. And I can’t help but wonder if the liberal “attachment” parenting style (of which Kate has written a book, to negative reviews on Amazon) where the child is “king” had anything to do with creating his unfortunate need for constant experimenting with drugs. As parents, it’s our job to guide children toward positive choices; it’s *not* our job to be their best friends or buddies. Disciplining a child can be challenging, but it’s absolutely necessary to their full development as strong, independent beings.
I will be watching with my son, who will be 14 on Friday.
I honor your extraordinary courage.
@OneMom — Wow. Just had to get that off your chest, didn’tcha?
You are using your disagreement with Katie’s values and beliefs to cloud your understanding of the disease of addiction. One day, somehow, you may yet grow to understand your mistake; I hope that it does not come as the result of such a personal tragedy as Katie’s.
As for the broadcast, I will be watching it online tomorrow, since it will be broadcast at 2 am Venice time.
My thoughts are with you tonight Katie, and with all of Henry’s loved ones.
My 15 year old son and I will be watching. Thank you for giving us this gift of Henry’s story to teach our children with. Henry will live on through all of us, and our children.
I was a friend of Henry’s in Knoxville, but i moved to Colorado for college. So I will be watching online at 7.
I am getting ready to watch it online out here in California and also posted it on my blog earlier
This is to little to late for Henry But maybe It will help someone else. My heart aches for your lost.
Chasing the Dragon.
I look into your eyes as
Deep as pools, as cold as
ice in the dead of winter.
I have felt your hot breath.
So hot the air burns
the depth of my lungs.
And still I refuse to move from
that spot of pain.
I have flown to the peak of your height.
Striving to make you, take me all the way.
I have seen the damage you have done,
Still I ride you like the wind.
I turn my back to you, still known
your right behind me.
Longing to thrust you aside,
but unable to refuse you.
I wait for the day I can say:
Your free, no more running,
no more, Chasing the Dragon.
Published by: The International Library of Poetry.
Editor’s Choice Award
Written: By Peter Elliott
© 2004
Just watched. Weeping. I’m sorry, and thank you for spreading the word.
I posted to Facebook this morning, and just finished watching this afternoon at work (in CA).
Bless you, Katie, and your family for telling Henry’s Story. Lives will be saved. I just know it.
Just finished watching online. It was just beautifully done and a wonderful tribute.
Thinking of you and all of your loved ones tonight,.
It was so beautiful. You should all be so proud.
Beautifully done. I am so thankful that you’ve decided to share your story. I know for a fact that it’s made me change my approach to “The Talk” with my children. I hope it makes a difference for other families too.
All our best, from Sunny Nevada….
That was a beautiful and heart-wrenching program.
I’m not a friend of Katie’s. I don’t even know her. But I can’t believe some of the criticism. To me it doesn’t seem at all as though Katie is saying that Henry was somehow better than any other addict. She is using Henry’s story to humanize all addicts. If you think that Henry’s addiction was somehow due to her parenting style then I think you kind of missed the point of the documentary. Addiction happens to people raised in all kind of different ways. No one is safe no matter how they were raised.
Thank you so much for sharing your story. I know this has been the most difficult thing for you, but it is because of people like you that people wake up and finally listen and do something about the problem. I pray that your story reaches the right people and encourages them to take a stand and try to figure out what to do about this…how do we get our family members back who have been lost to addiction? How do we save them from letting their addiction lead to their death? Thank You! May God bless you and your family and comfort you now and always!
I have followed Henry’s story on your blog and just watched the wbir special with tears in my eyes. I told everyone I know to watch it with their families, too. Thank you for having the courage to share your family’s struggle with the rest of us. I have no doubt that it will make a difference to other families dealing with similar issues.
Thank you WBIR for saving lives. I do believe that.
WOW! What a well done piece. I am sure that was a difficult process to go through in telling your story in person, out loud. And if anyone can watch that and think that Henry wasn’t raised right, then they’re sadly moronic. Drugs grab hold, and do not let go.
Kudos to WBIR for the guts to take a stand, and air such a powerful program in early prime like that.
Thank you.
Tray M.
Watched it. The last frame – the call to action – gave me cold chills. I don’t know why.
I really don’t get all the discussion about elitism, “higher class of addict,” etc. The message I got from the program is simply, “If you don’t think this can happen to you and your family, think again.” It seems just that simple – she pretty much laid it all out in so many words.
The message Katie is sending is a wakeup call. I’m 45, from a middle-class upbringing, well educated, childless by choice, have never smoked a cigarette nor pot nor done a single illegal substance in my life – by choice. Would it ever occur to me that someone with a similar background could end up like Henry? No. I guess I’ve been naive and lucky to be none the worse for it. I think Katie’s message is crucial, and I don’t see a thing wrong with the words she’s choosing to get it across to people who could be helped.
that was the most touching tribute I have ever seen. I know it got into my sons mind and heart, I’m sure many others were touched as well. thank you again for fighting for our children.
I will be watching it when they stream after 8:30pm. Proud of you and your beautiful relentlessness to help others with Henry’s story.
Beautiful tribute. We watched it with our boys. Some deep talking around here tonight. Thinking of you all. Sending hugs and prayers.
I have finished watching with my three children — thank you to Katie and everyone in your family who contributed to this.
To OneMom who asked: ‘Would this story be told of any other drug addict? ‘ I would have to say that it probably won’t be told of any other drug addict, but it SHOULD be told of EVERY drug addict. Henry’s Story has put a face on Henry’s addiction. It has put faces on the people who loved him and tried desperately to help him. Henry’s Story has, as someone else wrote here tonight, humanized Henry’s addiction. It has, to use a word that I think is appropriate, ‘normalized’ the individuals who find themselves hopelessly addicted to drugs. Every young person must understand that he or she is not, as Katie’s brother said, immortal, indestructible, ‘above’ addiction, or immune to it. When one first engages in recreational use, one has NO WAY of knowing if that switch (Betsy Allison Tant speaks of it on the video) is going to get switched on with perhaps no way to turn it off. Humanizing, normalizing, individualizing the horror of addiction is a very effective way of teaching young people that drugs are not fun, they are not a joke or something to be taken ‘just to see what it is like.’
My children were strongly impacted by the photos of Henry on a vent in the hospital. It is only with families coming forward and sharing those horrific moments, those heartbreaking moments, that our children can begin to understand how addiction can ravage not only the victim/addict but the family as well.
I continue to be amazed at the vitriol that I read from those who are local to KAG. I commend Henry’s family for putting themselves out there at this most vulnerable time. I have no doubt you have positively impacted many families tonight. G-d bless you and comfort you.
My sister and I watched this and were in tears. We lost our Mom on June 6, 2006, just days after our high school graduation and 11 days before our 18th birthday, due to her addiction to alcohol. Words cannot describe how amazing of a mom she was nor how much we love and miss her. I hope to someday touch lives of those suffering from substance abuse and those struggling to cope with loved ones addicted. You are in our thoughts, and we appreciate you telling your story. People need to speak and listen so we can stop this terrible problem.
My comments had nothing to do with the documentary, and are based on many blog posts, not just this one. Katie’s stance in the past few months seems to be that Henry was a different class of addict, far more worthy of our sympathies than others.
Should I feel more for Henry and Katie than I do for an addict that was abused, born into addiction, and forced to go to second-rate schools? Am I supposed to be more shocked by the fall of THIS child because he went to private schools and residential long-term rehabs? I don’t, and I won’t.
Henry’s death was a tragedy. But to imply that it was a greater tragedy than most is unfair to the millions of “boys” who are lost to this disease.
It is the wording, above all else, that bothers me. There is an underlying tone–”he was NOT like that” in the lines. I have been surrounded by addicts all my life–double-comma kids with multiple trips to Betty Ford down to common gutter drunks–and they are ALL the same. It is only when the addict realizes that they are not special in their disease that they can get healthy.
I am not against AP–nothing could be farther from the truth. I would never blame any disease on parenting style. Kids don’t get cancer because they co-slept; kids don’t snort Oxy because they breastfed until they were three. I simply noticed what others have noticed.
Every mother’s child is special. Henry was special to many, many people, obviously. His addiction was not. That’s all.
Katie, I heard you speak at my son’s school earlier this month and have been reading your blog since then. I just watched Henry’s Story with my 14-year-old son, and it was such a powerful message to the world. Thank you and your family for opening the dialogue. I will continue to pray for your comfort and healing. Thanks again.
I watched I weeped as a Father of a son in rehab in Chattanooga named Stephan right now. My son has not been the same now since his freshman year. He is to be a SR this year & graduate . I just don’t know if he gonna make it he’s on roxy & oxys as well as pot and huffing nitro. This generation has so much more access to powerful drugs . I feel your pain and am very scared for my son. Much Love to your family & God Bless us all
I don’t know Katie and didn’t know Henry but I have never gotten the impression that he or his family thought he was an elite or different kind of addict. Instead, what I have taken away from this blog is that addiction can happen to anyone and that it is a huge problem now for teens and young adults from all socioeconomic backgrounds in Knoxville and around the country. I also know how loved Henry was as I hope all young addicts are.
Thank you for your honesty and bravery!
The documentary was really wonderful, Katie. Kudos to you, Chris, his wife, your mom and siblings, and Elliott for being able to tell Henry’s story so eloquently.
Please try to not to let any of the criticism above wound too deeply. It’s clear from the comments that the vast majority of us who have been following your updates understand the goal that you have in speaking out. In the months since you made Henry’s addiction public, I’ve never felt that you were implying that Henry was “better” than other addicts, but rather that he was an addict, plain and simple, and you don’t want other families to delude themselves into thinking, “This could never happen to me.”
I watched this evening on my laptop, with tears in my eyes and a knot in my stomach. This was a very powerful piece, made even moreso by the willingness of the Granju/Allison families to be so open and candid … about their feelings, about their experiences, about their shortcomings, and about Henry himself.
Katie, I can only imagine how difficult it was for all of you to sit through those interviews. Whenever E. was on the screen, I held my breath and wanted to reach through my monitor and hug him – what strength that kid evinced, sitting down in front of the camera to talk about his big brother when it was obviously such a painful experience for him. But the willingness of all of you to expose yourselves and your families as you did … the result was a raw, real, compelling piece that should be mandatory viewing in every middle- and high school. Your local station is to be commended for producing this program, and for hammering home its commitment to encouraging a dialogue about this issue by showing it commercial-free.
To those who have accused Katie of implicit or explicit elitism, of placing Henry on a special “tier” of addicts: That’s not my take-away at all. Would every family have the opportunity to relate a similar story? Well, no – Katie’s connections in the media have been instrumental in that vein, no doubt. But that doesn’t mean that every story *shouldn’t* be told. All addicts have been someone’s child, sibling, parent, cousin … the “face” that Katie and her family put on addiction has made me much more aware of inherent prejudices and preconceptions that I had about the “they” who are addicts. When addicts are, in fact, part of the “we”. Addicts come from among our friends, our families, our colleagues. Katie’s mention of the priviledges that Henry enjoyed, of the family bonds and private school education and all the rest – I think that was more of a cautionary message that NO ONE is exempt from the risks of addition than it was meant to convey “my kid is so special, can you *believe* this could happen to him?!” And attacking her style of parenting, the way she disciplines her children – what a hurtful, inappropriate, and – frankly – irrelevant argument to broach. Addiction is a disease; would you blame a parent if their child suffered from asthma or a heart murmur? Katie and her family have been through hell and back trying to help Henry; who cares if she bottle or breast fed him or let him sleep in the family bed?? (And, for the record, I’m not in the “attachment parenting” realm with my own son, and I’ve never met any of the Granjus or Hickmans.)
My son has ADD/HD, and suffers from general anxiety disorder, depression, and a mood disorder. He is also 14 years old – very bright and beautiful, a voracious reader who runs on the track team and loves playing the guitar. He is at very, very high risk for self-medicating – no legal medication is as effective in making these kids feel “normal” as marijuana – and starting down a very slippery slope. That scares the hell out of his dad and me. Our son, A., was not home this evening, but we will be watching Henry’s Story with him in the very, very near future. I hope it’s a difficult program for A. to watch, and i hope it’s one he remembers for a long, long time.
Thank you again for trying to make some good come out of your family’s tragedy. Peace and strength to all of you. And much love. <3
Oh my…I just watched the special, believing that I was emotionally prepared. Wow! I wasn’t. What a great job they did. My oldest daughter, who is 11, came into the room as I was watching it, crawled up into the bed next to me and asked me why I was crying. I told her that your book, Katie, had given me the foundation for parenting the way I believed that I should and I told her about Attachment Parenting. After I explained to her how your book had validated my belief that co-sleeping, baby wearing, and nursing were just a normal part of being a mom, and I explained what this news special was about, she had tears in her eyes. I am so, so sorry for your loss and so impressed by your family’s strength and courage. God bless you.
I had to work late tonight to finish a project, but I took time out to watch “Henry’s Story” online. The simple eloquence in contrast to the terrible suffering weighs heavily on me. I can’t stop thinking about Henry — and missing him for you.
I watched with my daughter. Wishing you peace and strength.
I watched tonight on my computer in Cincinnati, Ohio. My sons are only one and three, but I wanted to let you know that I heard your message loud and clear. Henry’s Story was touching and made an impression. I’m very sorry for you and your family. Peace be with you.
Thank you. I just watched Henry’s Story. When my three year old asked why I was crying, I told him about Henry.
I am so sorry for your loss.
Katie,
I so wanted to watch this online…(I live out of state), but was unable to make it home in time. Will it be available to watch again?
So sorry I missed it —
Just watched the special. You and your family were very couageous in telling this story. I don’t think I could have done it. Thank you for sharing your story. I had my 11 year old watch and she will hopefully see the message you intended to convey. It can happen to anyone. Will be thinking of y’all.
I just watched it online. I want to send my sincere and heartfelt condolences to your family, and appreciate for all of your courage and condor about this issue.
Katie – as a new mother I THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for making me think about how I am going to deal with this issue when the time comes. I appreciate you laying bear your life so that other’s may learn and make sense of this.
Katie, I applaud you for putting yourself out there and telling Henry’s story. I watched the special online tonight, and I know lives will be changed for the better in the wake of Henry’s loss. I know that years from now, when my boys are a little older, I will be sharing Henry’s story. Thank you; I wish nothing but the best for you and your family.
Katie,
Let me add my voice to the loud chorus of thank yous on this website. That was an amazingly courageous choice you all made, and I know it has touched so many families all over the world tonight. My heart is aching that this happened to you and your beautiful son. I am wishing you peace, and hope you know what a difference Henry and your family are making in this world.
It astounds me that people would use this forum to criticize you for your parenting choices, or the way that you’ve chosen to describe Henry (like it would be better to DENY that Henry was a privileged kid who attended private school?). I don’t feel like you’re in any way saying that Henry was a “different class of addict” and therefore worthy of a higher level of attention. I believe that you’re telling his story so that families that think they’re immune to addiction understand how important it is to be proactive. This is about saving lives, not about debating parenting philosophies. We can ALL do better by our children, and participating in a heartfelt, productive, honest dialogue about the challenges they face is paramount.
How beautiful and strong your family is.
Henry speaks to us through you.
I am weeping and praying that I can somehow gird myself with your strength to steer my babies through this fiery maze.
Hugs and deep respect to you all.
I just finished watching it off the website–it’s 10 p.m. here in San Diego and I was so worried it might be taken off at midnight your time.
What a moving piece that made exactly the point you were looking to make–it could happen to anyone.
I’m so heartbroken for your loss and I was moved by this tonight. I’m a mother to 3 boys and I have an almost paralyzing fear of one of them making an “experimental” choice one day. I pray that never happens but it can and thank you for reminding me.
I believe that the message here was not elitist and was not to seem like Henry’s addiction was of a different class. I was raised in an abusive and drug and alcohol addicted household and I have tried in every way to raise my children far from that. If you met me on the street today, you would have no idea that I went hungry, was physically abused and witnessed more drug activity as a child than most adults ever witness in a lifetime. To raise your children in a better home and give them opportunities isn’t elitist and to try to keep them from these influences is what all parents are trying to do. This story simply shows that sometimes, we do all we can as parents and the demons of drug abuse can still sneak into your children’s lives.
This story was told to reach out to people that can find a kinship with Henry and his family. It takes that kinship to sometimes reach someone. A young man could have been watching and saw his own life in Henry. Another child that wasn’t given the same opportunities and life experiences as Henry may not make a connection and take anything away from this message. It takes all kinds of people to reach all kinds of people.
I pray for peace, strength and comfort for Henry’s family and thank you for sharing your beautiful son with us all.
watched it online last night from michigan. it was well done, and very very touching. I was again surprised at the similiarities in Henry and my son, Nick, who also died of an accidental overdose in June 2009, the shyness, how quickly and deeply it took hold of them, how pot was the start of it all.
I have to admit there was a part of me that thought, well what about Nick’s story, I want people to know about my Nick too. We who have lost a child have a nagging fear, I think, that people will forget them. An acquaintance asked me once how I could bear to look at the pictures of Nick now that he is gone, that she couldn’t, it would just break her heart. I explained that is all I have left of him now, pictures and memories. And that I treasure them both, that yes, sometimes I am reduced to wailing sobs when I look at them, but many many times my heart and spirit are lifted by remembering what a gift he was to me, and to all who deeply loved him.
I get the feeling that Katie and her family are as shocked as any of us whose child died young and tragically, like the parents I would see in the ER were shocked to hear the news that it was their child who died in the car accident. It is something all of us hope and pray, and probably deep down believe, happens to other people. My husband and I still shake our head no, no, no, we can’t believe this has happened. Not because nick was a special addict or alcoholic, or because we are elitist, or whatever. Just because all of us humans have that belief that our children will live longer than us. It is hard wired into us, the natural course of things, etc. And for many many families, that IS how it turns out. The children bury the parents, not the other way around. For some of us, actually more than I knew about before losing Nick, we bury them. Every parents’ worst fear and nightmare. And we all handle it differently, finding our way through this pain and grief and disbelief. Katie has a forum to not only talk and share and help remember her son, but also to show that contrary to many people’s belief, addiction can really hit anyone. We all do the things we think will be good for our children and protect them from harm, but the scary truth is illness can strike anyone, at any time. That makes us all so uncomfortable, we try and look for rituals or talismans or actions that would make it not true. But it is.
And some people like to look at others and try to find what they did ‘wrong’, and think well if I don’t do that, then it won’t happen to me or mine. And maybe it won’t. I know in the past I have done the same thing, wonder what a parent or individual did that caused this to happen, and think if I didn’t do that, bad things wouldn’t happen to me. I even had the belief, which seems totally silly now, that because I had a pretty rough childhood, I would get some pass in my adult life, I had already had my fair share of pain, so it was clear sailing once I reached adulthood. How naive of me.
anyway, prescription drug overdoses are rising at an alarming rate. I wish i knew what the answer was, but I don’t. I do know that it is always good to talk about what is really happening, and to hear other people’s story. Maybe some teenager will think twice about taking a pill after hearing about Henry, maybe some parent will spend more time with their child than at the office, realizing how tenuous life is, or a multitude of other positive things. It is too late for Henry, and my Nick, but it might not be for others, and this story may help.
RHF I think you missed a huge point. This is a wake up call to the parents who think this could never be their kid, because they have done what they feel are the right things. it would be impossible to illustrate this point without talking about the advantages he had – its not elitism. Its just the facts. This is not a PSA for kids who already statistically have the odds against them in terms of whether or not they try drugs. Please try to look at this for what it was meant to be. A wake up call to the oblivious, optimistic parents who think their kids could never fall to this. Or the ones who know deep down this is a problem but are in denial.
This is one story in millions of stories like it. Maybe someone who thinks they cant succumb to these dangers in their family, might watch this and say “wow, she’s a lot like me…her son is like mine…I never really thought about how to talk to my kids about this”
I recorded “Henry’s Story” last night because I wasn’t sure if I could watch it at the time. Almost two years ago, we lost our son, at the age of 27 to this battle of drug addiction. He fought against it, had family and friends rally with him to fight it, but the demon was bigger than all of us, especially him. After reading some of the comments above regarding Katie’s comments about Henry’s “situation”, I am quite confused. Our son was also raised in a loving home, a stable home where all needs were met physically, emotionally and spiritually. He began experimenting with pot at about the same age as Henry, and his battle with addiction began quickly after that. It was a fast and furious demon that entered all of our lives, not just his. Addiction is a family disease, and we all struggle with it. In his many attempts of sobriety, which I might add, he always did on his own, without the help of a rehabilitive treatment facility, he talked about his battle, his inner demons and the strength he lacked in trying to fight them. When people have commented that Henry’s story should be no more special than that of a homeless addict, you must understand that for a period of their lives, they were indeed homeless, drawn into petty crime and fed their habit any way they could. Without the financial help from family and friends, because we as family members of an addicted child have to quit enabling them, they were those addicts that you are describing. The point of this story is that ALL children are subject to being addicts, no matter where they are raised, how they are raised or who raises them. Education is a key part to stopping this cycle which is exactly what Henry’s Story was meant to do. It brings tears to my eyes to read the posts above where parents sat down with their children and watched this story together. I applaud Katie for her strength during her time of loss. This pain NEVER goes away. We can only hope that every child, addicted or not, will find their inner strength to either seek help or to be able to have the strength to not think they can experiment with drugs. Thank you, Katie and family, for sharing your story, as we feel it is our story too. We have both lost a child to a sickness that is so hard for most people to understand. My prayers are with you and your family as you continue this valiant fight on Henry’s behalf. I know that our son is watching from Heaven and thanking you also. If lives are saved, then their struggles were not in vain.