Alexa Bartholomew took to her Facebook to open up about how her estranged mother’s overdose led to saving a little girl who now calls her mom and finally gets to play softball.
She explained how she had kept her distance from her mom for around 8 years or so, ever since her parents separated and her mom started making some rough choices that went from prescription pills to harder street drugs.
Alexa chose to step back to keep her own children safe and to avoid the constant pain that comes with loving someone caught in addiction.
It wasn’t until last week that everything changed in a hurry when the hospital called her.
Then last week, everything changed in a hurry when the hospital called her. They told Alexa that her mother had overdosed badly with a really dangerous mix of fentanyl, cocaine, barbiturates, and amphetamines.
They had her intubated and on a Narcan drip to try to bring her back.
She revealed that a police officer who talked with her sounded shocked that her mom was even still breathing, given how much she had been using every single day.
Because of the situation, Alexa and her sister ended up becoming the legal medical decision-makers for their mom, even though they had barely seen or spoken to her in years.
Over the next few days, things took an unexpected turn for the better. Alexa’s sister stepped up and took their mom into her home, helping her get through the awful withdrawal symptoms that come with quitting like that.
In fact, not long after, they even got her into a rehab program where everyone is hoping she can start healing both her body and her mind.
But while all this was going on with their mom, there was another person who needed looking after.
Alexa and her sister’s mother had been living with a man she used to date, helping take care of his elderly parents, and especially his little girl from another relationship.
That man had full legal custody of the child, but in real life, it was Alexa’s mom who did most of the day-to-day raising.
The girl has known her basically since she was born and calls her Mom without question give the fact she’s the one who has been there for the everyday stuff.
Alexa admitted she had never really had any relationship with this little girl before all this happened.
But now the child has been staying with Alexa and her family a lot because she loves being around Alexa’s daughter Ophelia, and for the first time, she feels truly safe and gets to act like a regular kid.
The trauma she has been through shows in so many ways. The little girl never even had a bedroom that was just hers. She has never been on any kind of amusement park ride.
The little girl keeps asking Alexa if she can sign up for softball, or maybe dance classes, or anything at all that would let her do what the other kids at school get to do.
In fact, she even wants Alexa to teach her how to ride a bike.
Thankfully, Alexa’s aunt was able to get legal custody of the girl. Now she is living in a warm, safe home where she can finally begin to heal and start fresh.
Alexa revealed that out of all the pain and mess of the last few weeks, the fact that the little girl is protected and that her future can be so much different now.
To help make Christmas special for her and give her some of the things she has missed out on for so long, Alexa put together an Amazon wishlist full of items that would make the holiday feel magical for the first time.
She also started up a GoFundMe page to cover other needs that won’t fit on Amazon, like new furniture for her bedroom, paint to make the space her own, clothes, and shoes that actually fit her.
Likewise, some experiences she has never had, like a trip to Busch Gardens or a visit to Build-A-Bear.
Alexa ended her post by saying how grateful she is that, even in the middle of such a terrible situation, at least this child is safe now and her life has a real chance to get better.
