Mary Harris

On that first day she called the line, the day Jesse answered and Stephen revived her, Kimber remembers waking up to a cold shiver rolling down her spine. She was looking down the hallway to the bathroom where she last remembered being, a bathroom now filled with cops. There was the suitcase she'd just lugged home from rehab. And then she got really, really sick.

After Stephen forced her to go to the hospital, she checked herself out within an hour and walked home, puking along the side of the road. She picked up more drugs pretty much right away. The whole idea of Never Use Alone's approach is that, as Jessie puts it, you give the callers time. One more day to fight their demons. And Kimber had a lot of demons. She says her parents both used drugs.

After Stephen forced her to go to the hospital, she checked herself out within an hour and walked home, puking along the side of the road. She picked up more drugs pretty much right away. The whole idea of Never Use Alone's approach is that, as Jessie puts it, you give the callers time. One more day to fight their demons. And Kimber had a lot of demons. She says her parents both used drugs.

After Stephen forced her to go to the hospital, she checked herself out within an hour and walked home, puking along the side of the road. She picked up more drugs pretty much right away. The whole idea of Never Use Alone's approach is that, as Jessie puts it, you give the callers time. One more day to fight their demons. And Kimber had a lot of demons. She says her parents both used drugs.

When she was 17, her brother was killed by a drug dealer. The whole family kind of crumbled after that, Kimber included. Kimber went to rehab on and off for years. She'd use a ton of drugs, realize things were getting a little out of control, and check in for a couple of weeks to spin dry, as she put it.

When she was 17, her brother was killed by a drug dealer. The whole family kind of crumbled after that, Kimber included. Kimber went to rehab on and off for years. She'd use a ton of drugs, realize things were getting a little out of control, and check in for a couple of weeks to spin dry, as she put it.

When she was 17, her brother was killed by a drug dealer. The whole family kind of crumbled after that, Kimber included. Kimber went to rehab on and off for years. She'd use a ton of drugs, realize things were getting a little out of control, and check in for a couple of weeks to spin dry, as she put it.

She'd get clean enough to go back to work and pay her rent, and then the cycle would start back up again. So the call with Jesse was not the moment things changed. That moment came over a year later. Things had gotten bad. She says the sheriff had kicked her out of her apartment, the one where Stephen had revived her. Her car had been stolen and totaled.

She'd get clean enough to go back to work and pay her rent, and then the cycle would start back up again. So the call with Jesse was not the moment things changed. That moment came over a year later. Things had gotten bad. She says the sheriff had kicked her out of her apartment, the one where Stephen had revived her. Her car had been stolen and totaled.

She'd get clean enough to go back to work and pay her rent, and then the cycle would start back up again. So the call with Jesse was not the moment things changed. That moment came over a year later. Things had gotten bad. She says the sheriff had kicked her out of her apartment, the one where Stephen had revived her. Her car had been stolen and totaled.

She was carrying around a backpack with her passport and birth certificate in it. But then it disappeared. Her cell phone was gone, too. She had a friend who had let her crash, but the friend had a condition. Kimber had to call detox every day and try to get a bed. Which eventually she did. The hotline is called Never Use Alone. But walking into rehab, Kimber was utterly and completely alone.

She was carrying around a backpack with her passport and birth certificate in it. But then it disappeared. Her cell phone was gone, too. She had a friend who had let her crash, but the friend had a condition. Kimber had to call detox every day and try to get a bed. Which eventually she did. The hotline is called Never Use Alone. But walking into rehab, Kimber was utterly and completely alone.

She was carrying around a backpack with her passport and birth certificate in it. But then it disappeared. Her cell phone was gone, too. She had a friend who had let her crash, but the friend had a condition. Kimber had to call detox every day and try to get a bed. Which eventually she did. The hotline is called Never Use Alone. But walking into rehab, Kimber was utterly and completely alone.

Maybe for this part, you have to be. When she arrived, the nurse asked if she wanted medication. Methadone? To make getting straight a little easier? For the first time, she said no.

Maybe for this part, you have to be. When she arrived, the nurse asked if she wanted medication. Methadone? To make getting straight a little easier? For the first time, she said no.

Maybe for this part, you have to be. When she arrived, the nurse asked if she wanted medication. Methadone? To make getting straight a little easier? For the first time, she said no.

Kimber remembers all the details because she's really proud of what she did. Four days after she checked in, she sent Jesse that text from a new phone. I feel like I'm in a stable enough place right now to reach out and let you know I'm back, Kimber wrote tentatively. Jesse said, everything that you've been through has prepared you for today. You haven't been wasting time.

Kimber remembers all the details because she's really proud of what she did. Four days after she checked in, she sent Jesse that text from a new phone. I feel like I'm in a stable enough place right now to reach out and let you know I'm back, Kimber wrote tentatively. Jesse said, everything that you've been through has prepared you for today. You haven't been wasting time.

Kimber remembers all the details because she's really proud of what she did. Four days after she checked in, she sent Jesse that text from a new phone. I feel like I'm in a stable enough place right now to reach out and let you know I'm back, Kimber wrote tentatively. Jesse said, everything that you've been through has prepared you for today. You haven't been wasting time.

You've been getting ready. I'll support you however you need me to, every step of the way. For Kimber, it's been a year of big changes. She's in a new town, but she still doesn't really trust herself around her old crowd. It's interesting how this one call brought these three people together. Stephen told me when he first met Jessie, they didn't really like each other. Too similar, maybe.