Kristy is a mother and a strong, compassionate harm-reduction worker. She's also recovering from opioid use and her father's death from his own addiction. Kristy continues to battle grief, judgment, and anger. When Kristy is stigmatized for substance use, it brings back the sense of weakness, making treatment tougher and more isolating. As she says, she "feels powerless."

"People are mean, and I really think they need to take a step back and look at the whole picture. No one wakes up one morning and wants to be an addict. Nobody." – Kristy