LEXINGTON, Ky. — At Friday’s meeting of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government’s Opioid Abatement Commission, members heard an emotional call for treating addiction not just as an individual illness, but as a family and community crisis that requires persistent, judgment-free support.
“This is not just a person sitting in front of me — I’m treating a whole family, a whole generation,” said Daisy Brown, founder of the Champion Therapy Center, during a 15-minute presentation that drew praise from commissioners. She described how her staff approaches treatment with “space and grace,” offering individual, group and family counseling seven days a week, targeted case management, and practical assistance like food, bus passes, and uniforms for new jobs.
Brown recounted a case early in her career where a mother, initially believed to be unwilling to help her daughter, broke down in tears when offered a chance to get her child into long-term treatment. “I’ve been praying that she would get help,” the mother told her. That moment, Brown said, cemented her view that recovery work is about “answering the little boy’s prayer that wants his mom back” as much as treating the patient.
Commissioner Dale Sanders said her remarks hit home. “It’s not just the addicts, it’s the families who go in it. Thank you for your heart on doing that,” he told her. Vice Chair Tara Stanfield and other members echoed their appreciation, with one noting, “I feel your passion — it’s everywhere in the room.”
The meeting also featured an “open comment” preview from a representative of Grin Grant Inc., which runs dental restoration and telehealth recovery programs. She outlined plans for a Kentucky teaching clinic to train dentists in implantology for people in long-term recovery, warning that current denture practices can lead to severe bone loss. “This is a drug that physically disfigures them… We must restore them,” she said, noting support from the head of implantology at the University of Kentucky, the American Academy of Implantology, and Delta Dental.
In other business, Chair Dr. Stephanie Raglin noted that two commission seats remain open and encouraged applicants to apply through the mayor’s office. Members also received details on the Aug. 31 Overdose Awareness Day event, which will begin at DV8 Kitchen in the East End and end at the Fifth Third Tandy Park Pavilion, featuring vendors, educational activities, and free lunch.
The meeting adjourned without controversy — a “record time,” Raglin joked — but not before commissioners made clear they valued the stories and solutions brought forward. As Brown told them, “We don’t give up. We keep fighting until we can’t fight anymore.”
