Original subtitles

PAULETTE: Melanie looks so sick now.

ASHLEY: She's sunken in on her face.

It's all bone.

ERNIE: The only thing that matters to her is crack.

Nothing else.

♪

MELANIE: Let me get out of this [beep] bathroom!

PAULETTE: She's... crazy.

You can't even talk to her.

I don't hang out with family!

I'm leaving. [child yelling]

MELANIE: Just get away from me, then!

I can't breathe!

♪

ERNIE: She's just destroying herself,

and everybody else that's around her.

KALEB: [crying]

MELANIE: I'm his mom!

PAULETTE: She is losing her son.

MELANIE: The worst thing is I choose a rock over my kid.

♪

PAULETTE: It's killing her.

♪

♪

♪

♪

MONIQUE: Okay, let's run to the car!

Woo‐hoo! Run to the car!

MELANIE: You're a weirdo!

KALEB: No, you're a weirdo! MELANIE: You're a weirdo!

KALEB: Yeah!

MELANIE: That's my hat. KALEB: No!

PAULETTE: Melanie's very smart. She's on the go.

She has to be doing things all the time.

MELANIE: Cheers.

KALEB: Cheers!

PAULETTE: Melanie could be anything she wants,

and she could be very successful.

MELANIE: What do you want to be when you're older?

KALEB: A chipmunk!

MELANIE: You're gonna bring Mom nuts?

KALEB: Yeah, just like chipmunks.

MELISSA: She's loving, caring, sweet.

[door shuts] MONIQUE: Oh, watch your fingers.

PAULETTE: She's a wonderful mother.

MELANIE: Hi!

ASHLEY: She has a son. MELANIE: And I love you.

ASHLEY: I know she loves him.

ASHLEY: But her main concern right now is getting high.

MELANIE: Love you.

I love you. KALEB: Okay.

MELANIE: I love you.

KALEB: [inaudible]

♪

♪

MELANIE: I'm Melanie. I'm a drug addict.

I'm addicted to crack.

The first time I did it, it was like it numbed me,

and I loved it.

I started maybe a gram a day.

Lately, I could easily smoke an ounce, easy.

PAULETTE: Melanie spends her whole welfare cheque

and her child support cheques

on crack cocaine.

ERNIE: The only thing that matters to her is crack,

nothing else.

I wouldn't be surprised if it costs her

a couple of hundred dollars a day.

PAULETTE: Melanie has stolen from me and my husband.

My bank card, our laptop,

a lot of my jewelry gone.

ERNIE: I had a collection of knives, swords.

She stole that.

A computer, iPads, phones.

PAULETTE: She looks so sick now.

She's lost so much weight.

ASHLEY: She's sunken in in her face.

It's all bone.

ASHLEY: She's so lost.

She's not Melanie. She's not the same person.

I just want my best friend back.

ERNIE: She's destroying herself,

and everybody else that's around her.

♪

♪

PAULETTE: Melanie was so funny as a child.

She would make us laugh. Like, she was such a good kid.

♪

ERNIE: Melanie was very active.

She was always outside on the go.

MONIQUE: She was part of my life.

I was always there because her dad passed away.

I think she was only eight months old.

PAULETTE: Melanie's dad was an alcoholic,

and was hooked on crack cocaine.

ERNIE: Melanie's dad, he was going through some problems,

I guess, and he went in the bush,

and parked on the side of the road, and...

shot himself.

PAULETTE: I thought they were too young to know the truth,

so I told the kids...

that it was a hunting accident.

MELANIE: I didn't know my dad, but it really got to me

because my mom lied to me about his death for years,

and it really messed with my head.

PAULETTE: She would have real bad nightmares that he wanted

to kill her because he wanted her with him.

That's what she would tell me.

MONIQUE: She really had a hard time communicating

with her kids.

ERNIE: As they were growing up, they had no father.

And it really affected all of them.

PAULETTE: Melanie struggled in school all her life.

They had her in a learning disability class.

She was diagnosed with ADHD, I'm pretty sure in grade four.

MELANIE: I was brought to a specialist, and put on Ritalin,

and I mean, every Ritalin you can possibly think of,

they've tried on me.

I think it was misdiagnosed.

I don't think I actually had ADHD.

I think I just needed somebody to pay attention to me.

ASHLEY: I don't feel like Melanie got the love she needed

at all when she was younger.

I don't feel like she felt wanted.

PAULETTE: When Melanie was 11 years old,

she would cut herself with broken toys.

ASHLEY: I think she was doing it for attention,

like, "Mom, look at me."

Like, "This is what I'm gonna do if you don't show me the love."

She always was up to something.

She was missing school, looking for trouble,

and I remember thinking she was really bad,

but at that age, it was like the cool thing, right?

MELANIE: I was failing quite a bit of classes.

I was always in trouble.

MONIQUE: Melanie was seeking a lot of attention

because she was missing a father figure.

♪

ERNIE: Melanie got us together, me and her mom.

She was always at the house.

I've known Melanie since she was born.

I used to change her diapers.

Me and her dad were best friends.

ASHLEY: Ernie is a good stepfather now,

but I don't think at the time,

around 11 to maybe 15,

that he was really... present.

Paulette was his main concern,

and she just wanted to be with him as well.

It's like nobody cared what she did,

so she had the right of way to do whatever she wanted.

She was her own boss, and when she turned 13,

she met her first boyfriend

who introduced her to that lifestyle with smoking crack.

MELANIE: He showed me like a rock, and he's like,

"I can't do it all myself," so I said,

"Yeah, I'll try it." And I loved it.

I didn't feel sad, I didn't feel mad, I didn't feel happy.

Like, I just didn't feel anything.

MELANIE: I got addicted to that feeling of not feeling.

ERNIE: We knew something was going on

because she couldn't sit down lots,

and she was always scratching,

and spoons were missing from the house.

PAULETTE: I think it had been a whole summer

of her doing crack.

She admitted to me, and she cried in my arms and said,

"Mom, I need help. I am hooked to crack cocaine."

So we went, at three o'clock in the morning,

to the crisis centre at the hospital.

They had her on some meds

to help her control her anxiety.

She was with a psychiatrist every day.

She had counselling.

When she came out, she was clean.

After a while, she got herself a job in a diner.

She got enrolled into school.

Melanie took the personal support worker course.

I was proud of her, very proud of her.

MELISSA: I remember going to her graduation,

and it was like... the happiest day of her life.

MELANIE: It just made me feel like I was good at something.

It made me feel like I was worth something.

PAULETTE: She was clean and sober, working.

She loved her job.

ERNIE: She was good with the elderly and the patients.

She was very good.

She's got a big heart.

MELANIE: I was with somebody who was the love of my life.

He helped me through college.

He pushed me to be a positive person,

and he was encouraging.

And yeah, I was happy.

I took him for granted, big time.

I didn't know how to be in a relationship.

I didn't know how to communicate.

I didn't know how to accept the fact that somebody loved me.

So I push them away. That's what I do.

And then, he ended up leaving me,

and that's when we ended up pregnant.

♪

MELISSA: When she found out she was pregnant,

that was pretty big.

MELANIE: Like, I went... into like a bit of a depression

during my pregnancy, just because

I knew I had to do it alone.

To be honest, I was terrified to be my mom.

Yeah.

MELANIE: But when they put him on my chest,

I immediately felt like the love that

like I never thought I could feel for anybody.

And I knew that he'd always love me.

♪

PAULETTE: Oh, and she was a wonderful mother.

Oh, my.

She was really good.

ERNIE: She was straight for seven years.

Then...

she just got‐‐ I don't know.

Something clicked, and it triggered her,

and she just got right back into it.

PAULETTE: And I think it's when Kaleb was about

three‐four months old, is when she got in...

started doing the crack.

MELANIE: After my son was born,

like, I wasn't using all the time.

It was kind of like here and there.

MELISSA: I think deep down inside,

it bothered her that Kaleb wasn't gonna know his father.

♪

MELANIE: Just being unhappy with myself,

just, um... the feeling

that I pushed my son's father away.

I still allow access,

but he's never met his dad.

So I got, like, in a pretty big depression,

and then that's when it spiralled...

pretty bad.

ASHLEY: Melanie has been robbing people.

There's so much people after her,

and so much people want to hurt her.

MELANIE: I went to pay a debt, and, um...

yeah, I was dragged into a hotel room.

My clothes ripped off to the point that I had

tears in my legs.

By the end of six hours of it,

I was covered in my own [bleep] and blood.

And then he threw a gram of crack at me,

told me that's all I was worth.

♪

♪

MELANIE: It destroyed me completely.

I didn't feel like a human anymore.

I felt like a dog.

PAULETTE: It's been four years of non‐stop crack.

♪

PAULETTE: If Melanie keeps going the way she's going,

using like that every day,

we're gonna find her dead.

♪

PAULETTE: Did you sleep last night?

MELANIE: No. PAULETTE: I didn't think so.

ERNIE: Melanie lives at the house once in a while.

She had her own apartment,

and she's been evicted.

ERNIE: Paulette's rules are, like, no crack in the house,

no drugs in the house.

PAULETTE: I would never let her do it in front of Kaleb.

ERNIE: I'm gonna go this way.

I'm gonna go that way.

♪

PAULETTE: We've had Kaleb for about a year now.

I didn't feel safe for her to have him alone anymore.

MELANIE: When I wake up, I try to find money,

and I get high, basically is what my day wraps around.

MELANIE: Why are you so nosey?

PAULETTE: Because.

MELANIE: It's my purse.

[into phone] My mom's gonna cash my cheque.

If you could possibly lend me 50 bucks,

like, I promise I'll be able to give you at least 150.

Yeah, just one last time.

I wouldn't ask if I didn't need it.

Can you e‐transfer it to her?

Okay, thank you.

Okay, bye.

Mom!

Can you come here?

PAULETTE: What?

MELANIE: Mommy's gonna go out now.

Okay? KALEB: Okay.

MELANIE: I've just gotta go get my medicine, okay?

♪

♪

♪

♪

PAULETTE: Yeah, that's the last time.

MELANIE: Yeah, yeah. PAULETTE: 'Cause I'm done.

MELANIE: Yes, I get it. I get it.

♪

PAULETTE: I know I'm doing lots for Melanie,

and people do say I'm enabling her,

but to me,

I'm trying to save her life.

♪

♪

♪

MELANIE: Don't be mad. We've gotta go to [beep] house.

PAULETTE: Right now? MELANIE: Yeah,

because [beep] is gonna run it down to you.

PAULETTE: To me? MELANIE: Yeah.

PAULETTE: Why?

MELANIE: Because I owe her money, so I can't see her.

PAULETTE: Oh, my God.

MELANIE: Well, do you want me to get my head kicked in?

PAULETTE: I just feel awful.

So, what happens if she sees you?

MELANIE: She's not going to,

'cause I'm gonna get out and hide.

PAULETTE: Just go over there.

♪

♪

♪

♪

MELANIE: [coughing and horking]

♪

PAULETTE: Why don't you wait? MELANIE: No, I can't.

♪

♪

♪

♪

MELANIE: Ooh...

♪

♪

♪

PAULETTE: Should I take all the lids off?

MELANIE: Oh, I love that room colour.

PAULETTE: Chinese food makes me thirsty.

MONIQUE: Mmm. Me too.

KALEB: Just have one. Here.

PAULETTE: Egg noodles. I thought you wanted it.

MELANIE: No, he wants me to eat it.

He's like, "Just have one."

PAULETTE: [laughs] KALEB: It's good, it's good!

PAULETTE: It's good, eh?

MELANIE: The only thing that's keeping me going right now

is my son.

MELANIE: Sorry, baby.

MELANIE: I don't ever want him to feel unloved.

♪

PAULETTE: Kaleb, tonight you've got to have a bath, eh?

MONIQUE: Are you gonna have a bath?

PAULETTE: Because you didn't have one last night.

ASHLEY: He's getting to an age now‐‐ he's 4‐‐ where he knows,

like sooner or later, if this continues,

it's going to be, "Why is Mommy so skinny?"

Or "Why is she moving like that or shaking?"

You know, like, that's the worst part

is him having to see her go through that.

KALEB: Mommy, I want this one!

MELANIE: Yeah? You can have it.

PAULETTE: [into phone] And...

Kaleb's gonna go Halloween with Melanie.

MELANIE: We're gonna go get candy and say,

"Trick or treat, smell my feet!"

PAULETTE: Ah, no, no, she'll be around for that.

MELANIE: Oh, that makes me mad.

I'm here for every important thing.

Do people not see that?

PAULETTE: She wants to be around for every occasion.

MELANIE: I am around.

His first day of school, I put him on the bus, like...

PAULETTE: Okay, don't freak out.

MELANIE: Argh, it pisses me off! It's my kid!

People are making plans without even talking to me.

I'm not dead yet. Like, I'm still here.

PAULETTE: Okay, stop it!

MELANIE: No, it's important to me!

PAULETTE: [beep] You're really getting me mad there.

MELANIE: Why?

PAULETTE: After everything I do for you, and you scream at me?

MELANIE: Why are you throwing that in my face?

MELANIE: Why did I go and get a Halloween costume?

That day I told you I was going!

[beep] all of you!

PAULETTE: Okay... Oh! MONIQUE: You can't be reliable!

MELANIE: I'm his mom!

KALEB: You going out that door? MELANIE: Yeah.

Can I have a hug?

PAULETTE: Holy [beep]!

PAULETTE: if she doesn't get better, she is losing her son.

KALEB: I want to go outside. PAULETTE: Come on.

Kaleb, come with grand‐mere. KALEB: [crying]

PAULETTE: I want to go put him in the bath there.

Kaleb, look, it's dark outside.

It's time to go have a bath.

MELANIE: Okay, you don't have to just grab him.

Just give me a second.

Okay, Mommy's gonna go for a smoke, okay?

PAULETTE: I'm going for custody.

I'm not letting her have him back.

I'll tell her, "Sorry, but don't ever call me again."

KALEB: [crying]

PAULETTE: "Don't ever come at my door.

"You are on your own."

MELANIE: What up?

Have a good night.

♪

♪

PAULETTE: It was after midnight.

PAULETTE: Melanie, right now, we never know

when she shows up or where she is.

She's living different motels, and on the streets.

ERNIE: How much money did you give her?

PAULETTE: 60.

I know, but I don't know what else to do.

Like, she's hurting.

I'm just hoping she shows up.

I don't know. KALEB: [inaudible chatter]

PAULETTE: [sighs]

♪

♪

♪

♪

PAULETTE: Hi.

Where are you?

MELANIE: Who's all gonna be there today?

PAULETTE: Ashley, Monique, [indistinct],

Jessica and the kids.

MELANIE: Melissa?

PAULETTE: No. MELANIE: Good.

PAULETTE: No, she's not coming.

ASHLEY: Melissa and Melanie don't speak.

MELANIE: Anyways, if she shows up, I'm telling you now,

I'm gonna tell her to leave.

MELISSA: The last time I saw Melanie

was about seven months ago.

MELANIE: Okay, thank you.

MELISSA: I love my sister, but I don't have that open door

for her to come to me for anything,

especially when it's drug‐related.

♪

♪

PAULETTE: Kaleb, this is yours!

This is yours.

PAULETTE: With Melanie's addiction,

it's affected the whole family

because everybody feels bad for Kaleb

because Kaleb doesn't even have a dad,

and now he might lose his mom to drugs.

MELANIE: Hey... Hi! WOMAN: Aw...

Oh, that smells good!

♪

MELANIE: How old are you gonna turn?

KALEB: Three. MELANIE: Four!

You're gonna be four. KALEB: I'm gonna be a million.

MELANIE: No. KALEB: Yeah!

MELANIE: No ! KALEB: Yeah!

[inaudible chatter]

MELANIE: Kaleb, let's go downstairs.

KALEB: Why?

MELANIE: We're gonna open a present.

KALEB: Okay. I don't know what it is.

MELANIE: Okay, wanna sit over here?

Rip it, rip it, rip it, rip it!

Look at that side. [gasps]

What is that?

Okay, but look...

Do you want to just build it after?

Or you want to build it now?

KALEB: Right now.

MELANIE: [sighs] KALEB: Okay, let's get the map.

♪

♪

MELANIE: Okay, do you want to go play with the kids upstairs,

and we'll do this after?

Do you want to go play with the kids?

KALEB: No. Um... no.

I want to play with it right now and then get more presents.

MELANIE: Okay, well, then we gotta put it away, then.

KALEB: Okay. MELANIE: Okay?

KALEB: I get more presents, then you play with me.

MELANIE: Yeah, I will. Let's go upstairs.

KALEB: Why?

Why are we going upstairs?

MELANIE: Come on. Just me and you.

Hold on. Stay there, stay there.

PAULETTE: But whoever wants some...

[inaudible chatter]

PAULETTE: We're gonna put it in your piggy bank.

Oh my God, that's nice.

MELANIE: I'm like‐‐ feel like I'm gonna pass out.

[breathing heavily]

[breathing heavily]

MELANIE: This was not fair for me.

I said I wanted something small. I can't handle‐‐

I can't even be at my son's birthday!

I can't breathe. PAULETTE: It is small.

MELANIE: No, it's not!

I don't hang out with family!

PAULETTE: Well, just take a break.

MELANIE: I'm leaving, and tomorrow‐‐ I'm leaving.

PAULETTE: You're leaving? MELANIE: I... [sighs]

PAULETTE: You can't leave.

He didn't even open all his gifts yet, and the cake.

MELANIE: As if I want Kaleb to see me like this!

I can't even breathe! I'm lightheaded and dizzy.

It's way too much in there for me!

Just go inside. I just want a couple minutes.

♪

♪

♪

ALL: ♪ Happy birthday to you ♪

♪ Happy birthday to you ♪

TINA: Can I come in, please? Just me.

MELANIE: [crying] Like, he came to the door, like,

"Mom, I want to open my presents."

TINA: Oh my God, Melanie, it's okay.

It's okay. Breathe.

MELANIE: I need to go.

MELANIE: I know, I know, I know.

TINA: Okay?

PAULETTE: Yeah, and how about you go like this?

[laughter]

[exclaiming]

ASHLEY: Can I hug you for a second?

MELANIE: No, no, no, don't. I'm leaving.

Stop! I'll [beep] snap, man!

ASHLEY: Mel, stop. MELANIE: No!

I don't‐‐ I have anxiety. I don't want to be touched!

ASHLEY: I know you have anxiety. MELANIE: So just don't touch me.

Let me get out of this [beep] bathroom!

ASHLEY: I'm just so on edge all the time with her.

I don't know if one second she's gonna be happy

or if one second she's gonna freak out on me.

MELANIE: [crying] ASHLEY: Okay, stop.

MELANIE: Just get away from me, then!

I can't breathe! ASHLEY: I know.

I just want to talk to you. MELANIE: So back off, then!

ASHLEY: Where are you going? MELANIE: I'm leaving.

I can't‐‐ I can't do this.

I can't even watch my son open his [beep] presents!

[crying]

Oh...

Like, how can they sit there and laugh,

and sing Happy Birthday, and I'm not even there?!

Like... [gasps]

[crying]

I get to be the mean one.

I get to hurt my son at his birthday party.

ERNIE: She tries to run away from her problems.

She doesn't like to deal with it.

She likes to forget it.

MELANIE: I get to hurt my kid.

I get to the be one that breaks his heart on his birthday.

ASHLEY: She won't‐‐ she won't let me hold her.

She won't let me touch her.

She won't let me go close to her.

PAULETTE: I know, me too. I tried talking to her

in the basement the other day.

ASHLEY: "Get out!" She's freaking out.

PAULETTE: It's getting worse day by day.

ASHLEY: She's never been that bad.

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

PAULETTE: Okay, say goodnight to grand‐pere.

ERNIE: Love you.

KALEB: I want you to rub my back.

PAULETTE: I'm gonna rub your back.

ERNIE: The way she is going, she's gonna end up dead,

if she doesn't have help...

which would be very sad.

ERNIE: Alright, goodnight, buddy.

KALEB: Bye‐bye! ERNIE: Especially for Kaleb.

That kid really loves his mother.

Really loves her.

KALEB: I want a treat.

MELANIE: The worst thing is I choose a rock over my kid,

which is devastating.

It's...

[sighs]

Probably the worst feeling ever.

♪

for being here, guys.

My name is Andrew Galloway,

and I'm gonna be your interventionist tomorrow.

It takes a lot of courage to be here,

and I know we're all a little scared,

and not sure what's gonna happen,

but whatever's gonna happen is supposed to happen.

So right now, we're just gonna start with a little bit of

you know, why are we here today?

PAULETTE: She's really deep in crack cocaine.

She was 14 years old when she first tried crack cocaine.

ANDREW: That might be one of the youngest

I've heard of, actually.

She lost her father at one year old, or just around that.

PAULETTE: She was nine months.

ANDREW: You know, so from a young age,

you know, she's had a hard go. PAULETTE: Yeah.

ANDREW: Genetics plays a huge role in the addiction.

Her biological father obviously had an addiction issue.

PAULETTE: My father drank all his life.

MONIQUE: Mom was an alcoholic. She said she was not, but...

ANDREW: 50% of it is actually genetics.

Genetically, she was wired for this,

and so are you, you know?

It doesn't mean you'll develop one, but you're wired for it.

So, is it hard for you to be here today?

MELISSA: Very hard.

ANDREW: Is that because we're angry or because...?

MELISSA: I don't even know what Melanie looks like today.

She's not been allowed at my house for a long time now.

Totally cut her out.

ANDREW: You're fed up?

MELISSA: Done.

ANDREW: By you doing what you've done,

you've sent a very clear message to your sister.

I think she'll be surprised you're here tomorrow.

MELISSA: She might run. I don't know.

I don't know what she will do. PAULETTE: She hates her sister.

ANDREW: Well, what's interesting, though,

is that you have been the only one that has set up

a healthy boundary in the family.

MELISSA: Just taught myself to not like her.

And I'm struggling to find these feelings for her again.

I really am.

ANDREW: Anger is a normal feeling,

and it's okay to actually express anger tomorrow.

It's just how we do it.

Let's be angry at the disease, not her.

This isn't her fault, alright?

Her brain right now isn't capable

of actually making good decisions.

And tomorrow, we're going to set it up so that she does, alright?

So have faith in that.

[phone ringing] PAULETTE: Allo?

MELANIE: [on phone] Hello, can you hear me?

PAULETTE: Yeah, why are you screaming?

MELANIE: I want to know if my child support is in my account.

PAULETTE: Hang on, I'm checking right now.

MELANIE: What, it's not in, right?

PAULETTE: No, your account is minus $179.

MELANIE: Oh, great!

PAULETTE: So, you‐‐ what did you want me to do?

MELANIE: I need money! Please!

When I get paid, you can have it.

PAULETTE: Melanie... MELANIE: [beep]!

PAULETTE: I don't have the money.

The rent came out today.

MELANIE: Oh, yeah, okay, now you have zero dollars.

PAULETTE: I don't‐‐

MELANIE: You're so full of [beep].

PAULETTE: Aw, come on, then.

MELANIE: I went for the last three [beep] hours

without calling you.

[sighs]

PAULETTE: I'll let me check my account and I'll call you back.

MELANIE: Good, whatever. [beep]!

ANDREW: Okay, hold on.

Can you explain this to me a little better?

So, she's gonna get a child support payment

coming into her account. PAULETTE: Yeah, direct.

ANDREW: She's calling you, asking for that money

to go and smoke crack? PAULETTE: Yeah.

ANDREW: Doesn't Kaleb need that as a child support?

PAULETTE: Yeah.

ERNIE: She doesn't think of Kaleb.

PAULETTE: She's not thinking of him.

ANDREW: Why are you not thinking of Kaleb?

PAULETTE: What do you mean?

ANDREW: Well, let me put it this way for you.

Who's taking care of the child?

PAULETTE: I am. We are.

ANDREW: And you're about to send it to her

so she can smoke some crack?

PAULETTE: Well, I did before, yeah, because...

ERNIE: Well, basically, that's what you were doing.

ANDREW: Look how she's manipulating you.

PAULETTE: I know.

ANDREW: "I'm gonna go and step in front of a transport"?

PAULETTE: Yeah.

ANDREW: You say that to your mother for what purpose?

PAULETTE: Guilt.

ERNIE: Yeah, it makes you feel guilty.

PAULETTE: Yeah, well, that's it, yeah.

MONIQUE: She's been doing that all her life.

She always made her mom feel guilty.

ANDREW: So why do you give in?

MELISSA: It's easy.

PAULETTE: Yeah, to get her off my back, probably.

ANDREW: So, giving her money has made your life easier.

PAULETTE: No, not really. It makes my life worse.

ANDREW: But yet, you continue to do it.

PAULETTE: I know. I don't know.

I need help, I guess.

ANDREW: Yeah, and don't get me wrong;

I know I'm being hard on you‐‐

there's no, you know‐‐ this is why we're here too,

because if you think about it,

it's about setting healthy boundaries, right?

I mean, you've gone above and beyond,

but to be manipulated the way you're being manipulated...

PAULETTE: I know.

ANDREW: Those are the types of things that we have to change.

PAULETTE: I'm just emotionally drained.

[crying]

I just feel it's my fault.

ANDREW: You know, the thing about addictions,

it's no one's real fault, right?

She's had a number of traumas in her life.

You've had trauma in your life.

Your family had trauma before you, right,

and you see trauma just keeps getting passed

generation to generation to generation,

and part of what tomorrow is about

is stopping this cycle,

so that Kaleb doesn't go through the same thing,

so that she has a chance,

and all of you have a chance to heal.

We also need to think about what happens if she says no?

What are we gonna do now? Because she's an adult.

We cannot force her to go,

but we have to be able to come up with some consequences

that one, you're gonna have to follow through with.

Interventions aren't over until they either go to treatment,

or you guys cave on those bottom lines.

I have seen in the past that people say no,

and we put in those consequences,

and then two weeks later, they make that call and ask for help.

But if you, suddenly a week later, answer the phone and go,

"Okay, just 50 bucks," it's done, it's over.

ANDREW: Well, I'm glad you all showed up after yesterday.

That's good news.

So, Melissa, I understand that you actually brought

something with you.

MELISSA: This is a necklace that I got made.

It's a picture of our father.

I'd like to give this to Melanie.

♪

ANDREW: You know, take a deep breath.

If it makes you feel any better, I'm nervous too.

♪

MELISSA: What if she tells me to get out?

ANDREW: I'll handle it.

And if she does run, just stay in your seat.

♪

♪

♪

♪

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ANDREW: Hey, how are you?

I'm Andrew Galloway. MELANIE: Hi.

ANDREW: Nice to meet you. MELANIE: Nice to meet you.

ANDREW: Take a breath. MELANIE: I want you out.

ANDREW: No, everyone's gonna stay.

MELANIE: I don't want my sister here.

ANDREW: Just take a deep breath.

Take your jacket off if you want.

ANDREW: Now, as you can see, everyone's written some letters.

All I ask, try and listen with your heart.

I'm gonna start with a letter, actually, myself.

Okay?

"Mommy, I love you so much,

"and I miss you every day.

"I hate it when you tell me that you'll be right back,

"and then you don't come back.

"It's not fair.

"It's my birthday on Friday... MELANIE: No... [crying]

ANDREW: "...and the best present in the world

"would be for you to go get the help that you need.

"Love, Kaleb." MELANIE: [crying]

ERNIE: "Melanie, I've always considered you my daughter.

"I am worried that if you keep smoking crack,

"you're not going to be around to see

"your son's fifth birthday.

"And also, my biggest fear

"is to bury my daughter, my child, before me."

MELANIE: [crying]

ASHLEY: "Mel...

"I love you for the way our friendship used to be,

"and will hopefully continue to be in the future.

"My favourite memory is when you picked me up, barefoot,

"and said, 'We're going to Toronto.'

"You made me feel so free, and so alive,

"and I want to thank you for that.

"You've always been there for me, and it breaks my heart

"to see you suffer like this every day.

"If you don't accept help today,

"I can't do this with you anymore."

[sniffs]

MELANIE: No, I don't want to hear it.

MELISSA: Melanie, I want you to have Dad.

MELANIE: Yeah, that I'll take.

MELISSA: And I want you to cherish that forever.

MELANIE: Oh, I will, because he's my dad.

MELISSA: "First off, I miss you.

"I miss the good times and the bad.

"You've helped me in so many ways.

"You stayed by my side during those crazy mood swings

"during my pregnancies.

"Not too many people could do that.

"And I know I haven't showed you,

"but I will always love you, no matter what.

[crying]

"I made a promise to my family

"that I would never involve myself again,

"but here I am, Melanie.

"I'm here today because I love you.

I care about you and your future with your son."

ANDREW: Let's just take a second, alright,

because your mom's going to read next,

and I want you to be in a place where you can hear your mom.

Because I think your mom deserves that.

PAULETTE: "Melanie, I want to let you know

"how much I love you.

"You were always full of life and laughter.

"You could always make us laugh so hard.

"But now, I do nothing but cry,

"and spend sleepless nights worrying about you.

"When Kaleb was born, you were a great mother.

"I urge you to accept the help today,

"so you can be the best mom to Kaleb again.

"If you choose not to go to treatment, and stay,

"I will begin legal actions

"to get full custody of Kaleb,

"and I will wash my hands of you."

MELANIE: [crying]

ANDREW: I know it's hard. MELANIE: Yeah.

ANDREW: Would you like to hear

what the family has organized for you?

We have found a great place for you.

It's a women's only facility.

It's called the Windsor Life Centre.

It's going to be long‐term treatment for you

because they think you need it.

A minimum of six months. MELANIE: Minimum six months?

ANDREW: It's long‐term treatment.

It's what you need. MELANIE: [crying]

ANDREW: Take a breath.

MELANIE: I need to go outside.

Oh, man!

[crying]

ANDREW: Yeah, I got one for you.

I figured that might happen. MELANIE: Oh... [crying]

ANDREW: You're gonna bum these off me all day, aren't you?

MELANIE: Oh! No, but I'm gonna get‐‐

I am‐‐ it's gonna sound totally stupid,

but I'm getting myself something.

I can have it delivered in 10 minutes.

Honestly, that's the last thing I'm asking.

ANDREW: It's done. MELANIE: I'm serious.

No, it's not done. It has to be‐‐ honestly...

ANDREW: You're done. MELANIE: Oh...

ANDREW: It's just time to start. One more hit.

It's always one more hit. That's what you've been doing

for the last few years. MELANIE: Yeah, I know.

So then if I say no, I'm not going,

because I'm not gonna do something before I leave,

that's just too bad for me?

ANDREW: You want to get high in front of your kid?

Because your kid's gonna come down and join us.

ANDREW: It will seem like a blip in 10 years.

I promise that. MELANIE: [crying]

ANDREW: Take a breath.

The Windsor Life Centre is a perfect place for you.

ANDREW: So, I'm gonna ask you,

for the sake of your family,

for the sake of your friends, for the sake of your son,

but most importantly, for your sake,

are you willing to accept the help today?

MELANIE: I'm going. ANDREW: Yeah?

Good. Good choice.

MELANIE: But six months! ANDREW: Six months is a blip.

PAULETTE: It's okay. ANDREW: Congratulations.

You can let him come in.

MELANIE: Hi, baby.

MELANIE: Hi. Oh, chill out. [laughter]

I love you. [laughter]

ANDREW: Let's start getting ready to go, okay?

You guys did great.

KALEB: [yelling playfully]

ANDREW: We're gonna keep moving.

PAULETTE: Okay.

KALEB: A plum! PAULETTE: A plum.

ANDREW: Alright, everyone give quick hugs.

PAULETTE: You've got this. MELANIE: No funeral, thank God!

PAULETTE: Yeah, you can do it. I know you can do it.

Love you! MELANIE: Thank you.

PAULETTE: Take care! Bye!

KALEB: Bye!

PAULETTE: We love you!

ANDREW: How are you feeling? MELANIE: Scared.

ANDREW: Good! That's how you should feel.

MELANIE: But excited.

PAULETTE: We can relax now. MELISSA: It's done.

PAULETTE: She's gonna be safe now for six months.

ANDREW: If you actually look at your family history,

it's like trauma, trauma, trauma,

addiction, addiction, addiction.

It's up to you to break this cycle.

MELANIE: Oh, I'm going to. ANDREW: Right?

♪

♪

ANDREW: Hey, how are you?

♪

♪

♪

ERICA: Melanie, when she first arrived,

she was very anxious because she was away from her son.

MELANIE: I was a mess. I was angry, sad.

I was lonely.

I was dying.

ERICA: After a week, she started to really adjust to the program.

Just even in this past month, it just,

it's like a night and day from when I first met her.

MELANIE: I get up early. We have a tight schedule.

Right now, I'm working on anxiety.

I'm learning to build friendships,

and that means a lot to me because I was very much alone.

PAULETTE: Hey, allo! MELANIE: Hi!

KALEB: [squeals]

MELANIE: Mommy misses you so much!

PAULETTE: I couldn't wait to come and see her.

I was counting the days, and I couldn't wait to hug her,

and tell her how proud I am.

I am so proud of her.

PAULETTE: She looks absolutely beautiful.

She's back to my Melanie.

MELANIE: You've gotta look at the card first.

I made that.

MELANIE: I learned I'm a lot stronger than I thought.

I learned that I'm a good mom.

No matter how much I struggled, I was still a good mom.

MELANIE: [laughs] It's windy, eh?

MELANIE: I feel blessed and happy.

I'm content with myself,

and I'm learning to love myself again.

MELANIE: And one, two, three, go!

ERICA: She's got good goals.

She's already talking about where she would like to live,

what she would like to do after.

She is a firecracker.

She does have some really good ideas,

and I really believe that she's gonna be a success story.

♪

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