Press Release
Book Release: Lessons from Laura: Book One — “The Knock on the Door”
A Mother and Daughter's Journey through Substance Abuse, Addiction, and Loss
Book Release: Lessons from Laura: Book One — “The Knock on the Door”, A Mother and Daughter's Journey through Substance Abuse, Addiction, and Loss.
Overview: Lessons from Laura: Book One — “The Knock on the Door” is a story of love, loss and a mother’s unwavering fight to support her daughter in the face of addiction. Carolyn Bradfield shares insights from her family’s journey as they navigated the challenges of Laura's drug misuse and tragic loss from overdose.
Greenville, South Carolina — June 12, 2024 — Pathroot Health, a pioneer in behavioral health technology, today released a new book by the company’s CEO, Carolyn Bradfield, “Lessons from Laura: book one — ‘The Knock on the Door.’” It’s a story of love, loss and an unwavering fight against addiction as Bradfield shares her insights into a family’s journey navigating the challenges from a daughter’s addiction and overdose. Book One is available in paperback or to download from Amazon at Lessons from Laura.
“I began writing about my journey creating the ‘Lessons from Laura series,’ as blog posts in the days and weeks following the overdose death of Laura,” said Carolyn Bradfield, author of Lessons from Laura and CEO of Pathroot Health. “I always knew that one day I might get the dreaded ‘knock on the door.’ That day came just before Christmas 2017 at 4am when a somewhat confused Roswell, Georgia police officer showed up to let us know that my 29-year-old daughter Laura ‘had been transported’ and gave us a number to call.”
Bradfield tells the story of Laura’s life up until the final days, the emotions and experiences and encapsulates the challenges of living with a family member who is struggling with the disease of addiction. Her chronicles are designed to prepare other families and give them tools and understanding of the disease of addiction and how it affects the family of those struggling with substance misuse.
“Expecting to retrieve her from jail, we soon learned Laura was in North Fulton Cherokee Hospital, unresponsive after an overdose. We hurried to the hospital in the early morning hours, entering a nearly empty facility. The young doctor came out, explained that Laura had been revived but she had not regained consciousness.
Entering the ICU only reinforced that the situation was dire. Laura was unconscious, connected to multiple machines, and struggling with a ventilator. Over the next two days, friends and family gathered, praying for a miracle, but we had already accepted that Laura had lost her battle with addiction. When she died, I began to reflect on lessons she taught me that I needed to pass along to others.”
“Lessons from Laura: Book One — ‘The Knock on the Door’ is meant to be shared with families that need help and guidance to survive the trauma, shame and turmoil of having an addicted loved one,” added Bradfield. “Addiction impacts every member of the family. It’s ultimately a family disease that not only affects those struggling but creates chaos in the lives of those around them. Addiction is a pervasive and widespread problem, with 20 million Americans experiencing a substance use disorder (SUD) each year.”
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About the Author
Carolyn Bradfield founded and sold four technology companies and established Phoenix Outdoor, a licensed adolescent therapy program in Asheville, NC focused on substance misuse and family support. Her personal experience with her daughter Laura, who tragically died from an overdose in 2017, gives Bradfield unique insight and a passionate drive to support families facing substance abuse and addiction challenges. She currently runs Pathroot Health, an online service for families struggling with addiction and substances: www.pathroot.com.
