When Michael Cole made a promise to his daughter Lauren to one day do something to help kids and people struggling with substance abuse, he did not imagine that “one day” would come so soon.
In July 2020, just three weeks after his promise, Lauren, who was fighting her own battle with addiction, was sold a lethal dose of fentanyl. She was 26.
“It just took a person like Lauren to be able to see past their own suffering and wanting to help others – that’s what she wanted,” Cole said. “I made a commitment to her that we would help others, so with her guidance we’re gonna follow it through.”
And follow it through he did, forming the nonprofit organization Lauren’s Wish.
Cole said one of the things his family recognized throughout the addiction recovery process was a lack of intermediate stage in recovery, so that became one of the focuses of Lauren’s Wish.
“We believe we have identified a clear need,” said Director of Facilities Edward Boyle II. “If an individual overdoses and they’re at one of the local hospitals, the staff does an excellent job and gets them medically stabilized, but once that overdose victim is stabilized their options are limited.
“If they don’t have the financial wherewithal for an in-patient treatment facility or a sobering center, they just go right back out and more than likely it happens again,” Boyle said.
“And when you enter fentanyl in the equation,” he added, “you see a lot of young people dying.”
By the end of October 2022, Lauren’s Wish had found a home for its Addiction Triage Center on the third floor at Hazel’s House of Hope on Scott Avenue in Morgantown and opened the doors to the first clients.
The center provides a safe, clean, and most importantly free place for people to be transported from hospitals and emergency rooms once they are medically stable.
The center provides three meals a day, peer recovery coaches on sight and daily counseling sessions until a placement in a longer-term facility or program opens up.
Because each person will have different recovery needs, staff also work to help people find the best way to move forward to the next step. Sometimes that might be an out-patient facility or a sobering center or a more comprehensive in-patient treatment facility.
Boyle said they will even provide transportation to wherever that next step may be.
Most Lauren’s Wish clients have a seven- to 10-day stay at the triage center before moving on to the next step, Boyle said, but they have had clients stay there as long as six weeks.
With an average client base of 10 to 12, a full staff, the rent and operational expenses, “We’re unfortunately always trying to raise money to keep the doors open,” he said. “To date the organization has had to rely on a lot of internal self-funding by the group of six directors.”
Like Cole, many of the directors have personal connections to the cause.
Just three weeks after Lauren’s fatal dose, Boyle’s nephew Matt Clawges died of the same. And Director of Staffing Rebecca Crytser’s eldest son Derek lost his battle with addiction three years ago.
In 2014, Director/Medical Services Director Dr. Kevin Blankenship’s son Jacob’s struggle with substance use inspired him to start a program called Jacob’s Ladder at Brookside Farm, which is a long-term residential treatment program for men centered around a working farm in Aurora.
Cole said one of the upcoming goals of Lauren’s Wish is to start a similar program for women called Lauren’s Ladder.
Cole said he felt fortunate to have such a dedicated group of board members, which also includes Director of Event Planning/Fundraising John Todd and Director of Real Estate Mike Castle.
“Unfortunately, the loss of Lauren and Matt and Derek brought a great team together that realized and recognized that we were going to fulfill Lauren’s request of helping those that needed help,” he said.
Just shy of one year in operation, Lauren’s Wish Addiction Triage Center held its public grand-opening celebration on Saturday and invited community members to tour the center and see what’s been going on there for the past 10 months.
“We’ve definitely filled that void and we’ve made a tremendous difference in the lives of so many,” Cole said. “I think at this point we have serviced and helped over 260 clients and 97% have been placed in long-term care.
“It’s been a long time coming. A lot of people have worked really hard,” he said.
Boyle said those who tour the facility will see – “yeah, they’ve got something here, they’re doing something here.”
“This situation is an epidemic and it’s not going away,” Boyle said. “We’re not going to just wish it away, we’re not going to hope somebody else takes care of it.”
“It’s really unfortunate that it’s needed the way it is, but it’s very fortunate we’re there to help,” Cole said. “It is important to remember this is a disease that doesn’t discriminate.”
Cole said he hoped those who toured the facility were impressed and hopes that Lauren approves of what they have accomplished thus far.
“I always say when I go to see her again, I want her to say, ‘good job.’”
Lauren’s Wish does not charge for any of its services and accepts clients without borders, helping those in need from anywhere. For more information on the services provided or how you can contribute, visit laurenswish.org or call 304-241-4000 or 304-241-4219.
