3-13-14 rise together

Doug Darby says he nearly died three times from heroin overdoses and was convinced he was going to die as a junkie before age 30.  After spending time in prison for drug-related offenses including a robbery to support his heroin addiction Darby is fighting every day to stay sober and to bring his message of survival to the community.  Darby and fellow recovering heroin addict Anthony Alvarado spoke at this week’s heroin summit held at Marian University in Fond du lac.  “Even with all the advocacy and awareness that we try to bring, this doesn’t get any easier for us.   I’m not saying we sit there and white-knuckle our sobriety but we work for our sobriety every day,”  Darby said.  Darby and Alvarado have formed a support and education group called Rise Together…speaking to young people across the state and earlier this month in Washington D.C..    “I used to get high right here in Fond du lac,”  Alvarado said.  “I’m a parent myself and would fear my son or daughter would go down this path.  But I do know that early prevention,  educating our youth

in the right way to know that this is dangerous.  It can take your life in a matter of seconds.”