Women thank others for help

Banquet honors those who have turned their lives around after drug addiction

NILES -- When a woman drove while high on prescription medication and crashed her car with her infant daughter in it after a two-week "crack binge," recovery seemed a distant possibility.

But she fought for sobriety, and her daughter, and achieved it. Becky Easton was recognized Wednesday at the Rising Up and Moving On banquet at Ciminero's Banquet Centre in Niles. The program is sponsored annually by Trumbull County Children Services.

Easton's crash after running a red light June 19, 2016, left her 8-month-old daughter Xahria in the care of family members and herself in a Marysville prison.

After release and a relapse into "heavy drug use and poor decision making," Easton was thrown out of a moving car.

But then, she "decided she was tired of living an addict's lifestyle and wanted to get clean and sober and maintain abstinence. She embraced drug treatment and engaged in the methadone program at Meridian, after deciding that Suboxone treatment did not fit her needs," according to the presentation.

On March 21, Easton achieved one year of sobriety and has secured custody and housing for herself and her daughter.

"Ms. Easton is a model parent who is engaged and attentive to Xahria. Their bond is strong and all of the child's needs are met. Becky has provided a safe, structured home environment, and the time and interaction needed for Xahria to thrive," the presenter said.

The banquet is designed to profile people like Easton, who haven't made the best decisions in the past but have made efforts to turn their lives around.

Audrianna Herendeen went through the county's Family Dependency Treatment Court before choosing to parent her children sober.

While on an ankle monitor, Herendeen realized "she was impulsive" and admitted she "didn't know how to live sober." But she worked a sober program and was able to gain sobriety and custody of her children.

Tamara Ware won the agency's award for overcoming an addiction to opioids after receiving a prescription as a teen for an injury.

At the banquet, Ohio State Patrol Lt. Jeffrey S. Greene and trooper Brian DePizzo were recognized for intervening in a missing child case that was involved in a human trafficking investigation.

And the organizers recognized "The Village" for helping the agency create a home for a young girl, Jamie, who received a liver transplant from David Denovchek, and her siblings, who needed an adoptive home big enough for her and the whole family.

The organization came together to organize donations and a home for Jamie and her siblings and adoptive family.

"We knew this was a unique and ambitious project, but never did we imagine the time and effort that would go into it by so many. Along the way, there were moments when we stumbled and had to overcome unforeseen obstacles, but we kept our eyes on the prize of keeping four siblings together and ensuring Jamie had her happy ending," according to the presentation.