Lessons from Laura
| Website: | https://interactlifeline.com |
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| Name: | Carolyn Bradfield |
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January 2018 would have been the month Laura turned 30. Unfortunately, her journey ended on December 21, 2017, when she overdosed on Meth and died when her heart stopped and she wasn't revived in time to save her brain. Carolyn Bradfield, Laura's mother, spent January 2018 dedicated to sharing the lessons learned from her struggles in hopes it reaches, educates and touches other families.
Lessons from Laura
Georgia: My Life with Laura
Lesson from Laura by Georgia, Laura's Dog
My name is Georgia and I’ve lived a good life, but soon I will be crossing the Rainbow Bridge and joining my first human, Laura who left me some time ago. I’m in quite a bit of pain and my life is not happy anymore, so my family will help me go find Laura who I understand will be waiting for me.
Before I go, I wanted to share some of my journey with Laura so you can see how her struggles became my struggles and her joy made me feel complete.
How I Met Laura
I was just a puppy when Laura and her friend Carl brought me home. That was a very confusing time for me because sometimes I was with Carl and sometimes Laura. Carl was older and his house made me lonely, but then I went to Laura’s apartment, things were better. I soon realized that my job was to protect and comfort Laura because I saw her struggle with Carl who was not a nice man. One day, people came and took her away and I was left with Carl. But soon we got in a car, drove to Georgia and Laura and I were back together.
Her Family Didn't Really Like Me
Laura’s mom thought I was still in Colorado and freaked out when she found me with Laura in her basement. I had never met her so I growled to let her know I was Laura’s protector. I had no idea that I was a scary type of dog and heard Laura and her mom fight over me just being me. It was clear that I wasn’t welcome there.
I'm Going to College!
Hurray!, Laura got into Kennesaw State, got her own apartment and brought me with her. I thought it was going to be so fun being a college dog, but I soon found out that my life was going to get crazy. You see, Laura was drinking and sticking needles in her arm and that made her different. I tried to be there for her, but ai just didn’t know what to do.
She was different then, left me alone a lot, yelled at me and wasn’t happy. Carl and other men came over, but they weren’t nice either and I did the best I could to stay ready to protect my human when she needed me.
One day Laura left me locked in the bathroom and didn’t come back for a long time. I was hungry and scared and knew she needed my help. Laura’s family finally came, but Laura wasn’t there. I later learned she was asked to leave college which made her so sad and was going to get help for the things she had been doing with the needles and the drinks.
Laura Has a Brother!
Laura had a brother, who knew! I had never met him, but Laura was gone and I got invited to stay at his house. I missed Laura, but life with Ross was calm and predictable and fun. There were no strange people coming in and out and I felt safe, but at the same time sad that my human was away and I didn’t know if I would see her again.
Ross had a house and a backyard where I could go and chase squirrels, sleep in the sun, or just hang out. He would come home and play with me and bring his friends over. They were so much nicer than the ones from the apartment and nobody yelled or used needles or made me feel like I needed to protect them.
Reunited and It Felt So Good!
Laura was away a long time, but she came back and I was so happy to see her. She looked good, was so happy and I just knew she would be my forever human again. But things didn’t work out that way. I began to see different men than when we were in college, stayed at their houses in not so nice places, and I had such a hard time protecting her. I was scared because the men were mean to me. It seemed like this was going on forever, but soon Laura went away again.
A New Family
All of a sudden I was back with Ross and believe it or not, there was another dog that looked a lot like me. His name is Fletcher and he’s been my best friend for 8 years. I know he’s going to miss me when I cross the Rainbow Bridge, but my forever family will take care of him.
She's Back!
Laura was gone for such a long time, but one day she came back to see me. Her visits were short and I came back to my forever family, to Fletcher, and to my backyard. I somehow knew that living with Laura again was not in my future as she went away and came back many times.
Gone for Good!
It was almost Christmas and Laura had not been to see me in a while. My family came home one day very sad and Ross tried to explain to me that Laura had crossed the Rainbow Bridge and wouldn’t be coming back. He told me that she had done the scary thing that I saw back in college and although the smart people tried to save her, it wasn’t enough. She was gone forever.
My Time to Go
I’m ready to cross the Rainbow Bridge because I know Laura is waiting for me. I’ll miss my forever family and Fletcher. Laura needed me to protect her, but in the end, I couldn’t save her and somehow, I knew that. I hope people will remember me and Laura and I will love and play and do all the things I missed so much.
InterAct LifeLine
InterAct provides technology for Virtual Care and Opioid Education Programs for use by treatment programs, state and local governments and non-profits. Carolyn Bradfield founded InterAct LifeLine in 2018, shortly after her daughter overdosed and died.
