A young Derry girl has spoken publicly about her battle against a drug addiction in support of a local charity which helped turn her life around.
Stevena Brown addressing yesterday’s rally.
Stevena Brown was speaking at yesterday’s rally at the city’s Peace Bridge in support of two lifesaving charities which have been refused funding.
The rally – which heard obtaining drugs in Derry was as “easy as buying chocolate” and the drugs issue in the city was “at crisis point” – was organised by the Quigley family as they continue to search for Andrew Quigley who has not been seen since leaving a friend’s birthday party in the early hours of Saturday morning last.
A search of the River Foyle for the 19-year-old has been ongoing since some of his personal items were discovered on the Foyle Bridge at 7.40am that day.
It has emerged the tragic teen, from Fergleen Park in Galliagh, had been battling an alcohol and drug addiction and had sought help only to be told he would only receive it if he quit both habits.
Yesterday’s rally was organised by the Quigley family in support of Foyle Search and (FS&R) and HURT (Have Your Tomorrows).
Dermot Quigley speaking at the rally.
Last year, FS&R attended a total of 195 incidents in the River Foyle, which included the rescue of 12 people and 66 “causes for concern” being led to places of safety for help. It also had the sad task of recovering seven bodies from the river.
The charity has been refused £200,000 funding to set up a counselling centre and extend its headquarters at Prehen,
HURT (Have Your Tomorrows), founded by Derry mother Sadie O’Reilly who tragically lost her son Tony through a heroin drug addiction in 1999, was set up to provide support to drug and alcohol users and their families. It has also been turned down for funding.
Courageous Stevena told yesterday’s rally she was now “looking to a better future” after attending the HURT project following several attempts to take her own life.
Stevena said: “I went through a couple of hard things when I was younger. When I was 14 I started drinking and smoking. I started to smoke grass and I got threw out of school.
Missing: Andrew Quigley.
“When I was 16, I started started to dabble with harder drugs such as meth and ecstasy and stuff. I fell in with the wrong crowd of people
“I was referred for counselling but did not think they they were helping me. I felt they didn’t want to listen, so after attemping suicide a couple of times with oversdoses and stuff, I was referred to the HURT project.
“In there, it felt different because they were volunteering to do what they do, so I felt they were there to listen – they made a choice to be there, they just weren’t getting paid to listen to you.
“HURT made me realise I am no longer a victim, I am survivor – and after two years I have not touched drugs and I am now looking at a better future for myself.”
Earlier those present linked arms during a minute’s silence in support for people throughout Derry and further afield who are struggling with issues such as drugs, alcohol, depression and suicidal tendencies.
Dermot Quigley, uncle of tragic Andrew, said as a community worker he saw the valuable work carried out “week in, week out” by FS&R and HURT, adding he hoped those responsible for making funding decisions could “see and hear” the issues Derry was facing.
He added: “If Foyle Search and Rescue applied for funding for teabags, I would support them in that because I believe they are doing a wonderful job.”
Collette Quigley tells of Andrew’s battle with his addictions,
Dermot said FS&R had provided “fabulous” support for the Quigley family following Andrew’s disappearance.
He said: “Foyle Search and Rescue have been fabulous for us. We take great heart and strength from the support they have shown to us.”
Dermot added young people had admitted “it is easier to get drugs in Derry than a bar of chocolate” and the city was “at crisis point” due to the amount of drugs available to young people in the city.
Dermot said: “We are one family in a list of families who have issues – issues with sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters, nieces and nephews.
“Drugs don’t care, they don’t care who you are, they don’t care if you are upper class, middle class, working class, Catholic or Protestant.
“Derry is at crisis point at the minute with the amount of drugs our young people have access to.
“Young people are on record as saying ‘it is easier to get drugs than a bar of chocolate’ – that is a catastrophic failure of the system and the society that we live in and that is the reality for our young people.”
Dermot concluded: “Our young people are the best young people that they could ever be but given the circumstances and the issues and the heartache they have to face day and daily in our town is absolutely abominable – and it has to change because I don’t want another life lost for any reason, especially not for drugs or for alochol or any other reason we can get help for.”
Andrew’s heartbroken mother, Collette, also spoke at yesterday’s rally.
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