Hundreds gather to battle drug addiction in Staten Island
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‘Too many parents have buried their kids’: Donovan seeks funding for heroin epidemic
Alicia Palermo-Reddy runs volunteer support group Addiction Angels. She spoke at Camelot Counseling on Thursday. (Staten Island Advance/Rachel Shapiro) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Like many parents who find their child addicted to heroin, Cecilia Olsen was in denial when her high school-aged son started using drugs. He dropped out of Tottenville High School, and is now getting help at Camelot Counseling, where Olsen stood with Rep. Daniel Donovan and others on Thursday to call on Congress to pass the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act. The addiction "has affected my family tremendously, every single member of my family. I was uneducated for a long time, in denial," she said. Donovan (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) is one of more than 80 co-sponsors of the House bill to give funding to local organizations to address the heroin and prescription drug abuse epidemic. "Too many parents have buried their sons and daughters, or watched them struggle [...]
WATCH: How A New York Nurse Became An ‘Addiction Angel’
There are angels all around us, like Alicia Reddy. This selfless woman, also known as Addiction Angel, wants nothing more than to help those struggling with the disease of addiction. She is a RN and a drug interventionist. Her passion with helping others started when 3 family members struggled with addiction and she was there to help. Since then, she has given herself a name and given others life. When not working as a nurse at Staten Island University Hospital, Alicia is holding interventions or is on the phone guiding families and friends who are helping their loved ones fight through addiction. She works tirelessly to get people the help they need; whether it be personally getting them into rehab or being available to talk anytime they need. To learn more or get help from the Addiction Angel, go to her Web site or Facebook page. [...]
Alicia Palermo-Reddy: A life-saver for those who’ve fallen for heroin on Staten Island
Alicia Palermo-Reddy, 47, a registered nurse who helps families struggling with addiction, has been chosen a 2016 Staten Island Advance Woman of Achievement. Alicia Reddy's addiction helpline is always open. The registered nurse says she started fielding calls on her own a few years back from people struggling with drug problems and their families who were looking for support. At times, the demand could be overwhelming, but Reddy, 47, says she'd never ignore a call if it could mean saving a life. And she has saved numerous ones. Scrolling through her cellphone during a recent interview at her Huguenot home, where she lives with her husband and two children, Reddy read several thankful text messages from people who she has helped over the past few years. There's the 31-year-old father in recovery who she called every day while he went through detox, and a 27-year-old heroin addict who she helped [...]