ANN ARBOR, MI – Chris Herren understands the perils of substance addiction. It literally killed him.
Paramedics decided the former NBA starter was lifeless in the back of an ambulance for 30 seconds in 2008 owing to a heroin overdose, in accordance to Yahoo! Sporting activities in a 2011 posting.
His basketball journey in advance of then was promising. He was a McDonald’s All-American at his Drop River, Massachusetts significant college, a successful scorer for Fresno Point out College underneath legendary mentor Jerry Tarkanian and a brief starter for the Boston Celtics.
That route, on the other hand, was littered with challenges with medicine leading to that fateful evening in 2008. Herren dedicated to sobriety shortly just after that, and 15 decades later, he will share his story at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor.
Herren is the keynote speaker for a drug avoidance program at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 8, at the historic Ann Arbor theater, 603 E. Liberty St.
The presentation is called “Prevention Starts off with All: The Chris Herren Story.” Tickets are free and open up to the community. Advance registration can be found online.
Herren will existing a short film termed “The Initial Day,” which he made with director Jonathan Hock. The two collaborated on the Emmy Award-successful ESPN documentary “Unguarded,” also about Herren’s ascension towards professional basketball intersecting with his journey to sobriety.
Herren’s tale is notably powerful for men and women from several angles of the material addiction and drug avoidance issue, said Mary Jo Desprez, director of Wolverine Wellness at the College of Michigan and co-chair of Ann Arbor Campus Neighborhood Coalition.
“His concept will resonate with men and women form of together the continuum,” Desprez stated, together with people who have in no way applied medication just before to those beginning to working experience challenges to spouse and children users or caregivers.
Right after the film screening, Herren will speak on this kind of issues as prescription drug use, vaping, psychological wellbeing, gateway prescription drugs and how culture will have to get the job done alongside one another towards drug prevention. Desprez will conclude the night with a panel discussion on how individuals can seek out area methods in an exertion to overcome drug dependancy.
The panel also characteristics:
- Gregory Harden, a lifetime coach and previous UM associate athletic director
- Katie Abraham, a UM School of General public Wellbeing master’s prospect
- Dr. Victor Hong, healthcare director of UM Psychiatry Crisis Products and services
- Philip Veliz, associate director of UM’s Sport, Overall health, and Exercise Investigation and Policy Center
The panel will act as a group discussion to “localize and contextualize” Herren’s information for the Ann Arbor, UM and Washtenaw County community, Desprez explained.
“What we’re seriously hoping with that next aspect is that we make absolutely sure that nobody leaves with out a link to a resource that can help them continue the discussion,” she reported.
Herren’s visit is produced feasible via local businesses which include A2C3 and Washtenaw Family members Towards Narcotics, as properly as UM and nameless donors.
Read extra from The Ann Arbor Information:
Thickest ice in 50 decades knocks out energy for 65K in Washtenaw County
Emergency crews in Washtenaw County received extra than 650 calls for the duration of ice storm
Ann Arbor makes it unlawful to discriminate primarily based on someone’s ID card