A daughter's pain.

A mother's addiction.

My mom has been addicted to heroin since I was 8. Her addiction has defined my life.

Larissa McDonald

Read her story.

I’m a recovering drug addict, and my daughters need me

Lynann Michelessi

Read her story.

Listen to a letter Larissa wrote to her mother, Lynann.

A daughter's pain.

A mother's addiction.

My mom has been addicted to heroin since I was 8. Her addiction has defined my life.

Larissa McDonald

Read her story.

I’m a recovering drug addict, and my daughters need me

Lynann Michelessi

Read her story.

Listen to a letter Larissa wrote to her mother, Lynann.

Part of the PublicSource series

The Fix

Stories about the opioid epidemic
in the Pittsburgh region.
About this series.

More in this series

An introduction to PublicSource's new series "The Fix"

For two Pittsburgh women, helping others deal with drug addiction starts with telling their own stories.

Michael’s Place saved my life. I can’t stop thinking about people caught in their addiction who won’t have the same opportunity.

EMS workers are on the front lines of the opioid epidemic. Here’s how they cope.

In telling stories of addiction, the media should stop spreading images of stigma.

PublicSource commits to making thoughtful choices on triggering imagery

The American system of recovery doesn’t always work. My journey is proof.

The darknet is transforming the drug trade. Pittsburgh is an epicenter of the FBI’s work to crack down.

An illustrated look: The opioid epidemic by the numbers

Pennsylvania lags in developing a plan of protection for infants affected by drugs

Jolted out of a drug haze with life-changing news: ‘I went to sleep at 15 and woke up at 23, pregnant.’

The D.A.R.E. teachers said my life wasn’t normal. But for kids with addicted parents, I was.

The same fighting chance: Dr. Neil Capretto compares his battle with cancer to his patients’ battles with addiction

In the hypocrisy of the opioid epidemic, white means victim, black means addict.

The men who didn’t disappear

A timeline of drug use, policy and headlines in the United States & Pittsburgh