Jeran Carver

I grew up in the foothills of Appalachia. One of the hardest-hit areas of the opioid epidemic. Its reach has no boundaries. It has touched everyone in my community in some form or fashion, including me and my family. My story is not unique in the aspect of active addition. Like so many, I first became addicted by being prescribed copious amounts of pain meds, in which I was very naive to their long-term effects. Some really horrific things had to happen to get me where I am today, but I will save that for my testimony. My main objective is to be heard. To serve as a light in a very dark and lonely world of addiction. To advocate for the lost and broken. To change the narrative and stigma that surrounds addiction and Appalachia. To be a voice for the next generation, that is being raised by their grandparents, Because both parents are incarcerated and not receiving the correct treatment they need to achieve long-term recovery. Or worse their parents have died from an overdose. Those kids are our future for a change and we don't have any resources implemented for them to break this perpetual cycle. I need a platform in which I can speak and it impacts everyone willing to listen. To be heard by the judicial system that addicts do not need to be locked up in a prison but rehabilitated, taught a trade that brings meaning to their lives and hope. Recovery isn't about learning how not to use, it is about finding a life that you no longer want or need to escape from.