By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
KATHARINA took it upon herself to try to help Robby.
Young mum Katharina Storey – a participant in the Substance Use Recover (SURe) service, run by EACH Social and Community Health, which recently opened a new Narre Warren facility, saw in her friend, Robby, another person battling addiction that she could relate to and help.
“I’m one of those people who takes it upon themselves to rescue the world one person at the time,” Katharina, 32, said.
“I had just had my son taken off me, and been requested to do drug screens.
“On my good days I would clean his (Robby’s) house… he lived in a computer chair, he’d either be high and dealing or drug-affected, or in his chair ’cause he was fighting to stay awake.
“He was not cut out for that life … he got walked all over.”
Despite her best efforts, Katharina couldn’t save Robby. He passed away from heart failure in 2013 about 10 months after she had met him.
A few months ago Katharina wrote a poem in memory of Robby but was unable to have it published until now, when she sent it to Star News.
“He was the one I was closest to that had passed,” Katharina said of her friend.
“Looking at his situation from some angles, it seemed that Robby had put himself where he was during this time, nevertheless he still needed help.
“Robby had only been using ice for a year or so and I couldn’t believe how fast it happened, to someone with such a kind heart – his situation really impacted me.
“It’s given me huge inspiration to stay clean ’cause I saw the impact.”
Star News reported on Katharina’s own journey back in July when she shared her story at the opening of the Narre Warren EACH facility.
Having started to use drugs at 15, Katharina soon turned to ecstasy and heroin, and later ice.
In more recent years Katharina fell pregnant.
She abstained from drugs during the nine-month pregnancy and while breast-feeding her son and thought she could remain that way – but she didn’t.
As friendships and relationships with her family members crumbled around her, the Department of Human Services became involved in Katharina’s life and she lost custody of her son.
Having hit rock bottom with seemingly nowhere left to turn, Katharina found a glimmer of hope through the SURe program.
“I couldn’t continue on like this and although I thought counselling was a stupid joke, not understanding how someone could help you without knowing you, or have walked in your footsteps, I decided to give it a go,” she said.
“However, I found it amazing how much Nigel (her counsellor) knew and understood about me. I was hooked on these lessons to learn about Katharina.
“At times it was confronting and I had no idea how I felt – I had blocked my feelings out for so long.”
With her son back in her care and her family relationships re-kindled, Katharina – also completing a certificate four in community development – wants to serve as a role model to help others battling drug addiction.
She said sharing her story with the crowd that attended the EACH opening, which included her family, was an important first step.
“It’s been very good for my family to understand my story and how I felt during the whole process,” Katharina said.
“Even when I was reading it out it was like ‘I’ve been through a lot and to come through the other side, I’ve done pretty well’.”
