After overdosing in front of her two-year-old daughter, Cami Cloward was told in 2012 that she had to either stop using drugs or never see her daughter again. She said the choice was clear.
“I went and got myself into treatment and did it for my daughter so I could be a mom to her and be there for her,” Cloward said. “Now, my life pretty much surrounds around helping other family members.”
The local said her overdose was a blessing in disguise, encouraging her to educate others about addiction.
Cloward carried out that mission on Saturday by speaking at the SLO Overdose Awareness Day event, hosted in Mitchell Park by the County of San Luis Obispo Behavioral Health Department and the Opioid Safety Coalition.
The local said talking about taboo subjects at events like this one helps not only people struggling with addiction, but also their loved ones.
“Things in the dark don't grow,” Cloward said. “It's like when we bring light to conversations and topics that are hard, when we bring light to it, [we're] giving it the opportunity to grow and to flourish and to heal.”
Ryan Lowenstein also attended Saturday's event, explaining that he had a friend who died of an overdose. He believes the stigma around drug use may have led to it.
“He didn't reach out to get the help that he wanted,” Lowenstien said. “I think by having more honest conversations, we can make people feel more comfortable sharing so that they can get the help that they need.”
Lowenstein says he is going home with a free fentanyl testing kit to help save someone else if needed.
Flags were placed in the shape of a heart on the lawn by people attending Saturday’s event. Purple flags represented loved ones who have lost their lives, and white flags symbolized those who have carried on after overdosing.
“I’m happy to know that maybe my test that I grabbed could actually make a difference in that way,” Lowenstien said. “Maybe next year I will have made a white flag.”
Cloward says taking away the stigma of overdoses in her household has helped her now 15-year-old daughter help others.
“It's neat to see the way she is,” Cloward said. “She'll share things that she knows about it if she has friends that are struggling, or things like that.”
To get a free overdose reversal kit, visit this link.
