Back in 2016, a mom from Indiana went viral for all the wrong reasons.
Erika Hunt, who was twenty-five-years-old at the time, was found slumped and unconscious in the driver's seat of her car after overdosing, all while her 10-month-old son sat and watched on in the back.
And a horrifying photo of the incident, which quickly began circulating on the internet, served as a wake-up call for Erika, who decided to put a stop to her addiction once and for all. And now, as she celebrates 3 years of sobriety, Erika has shared her amazing transformation with the world.
The comparison is incredible, and her post quickly went viral... This time for all the right reasons. Keep scrolling to see her moving post, and to read about her tough journey to sobriety.
Erika Hunt has come a long way.
via: Facebook
Though this photograph shows her as the loving and supportive mom she is today, this wasn't always the case for Erika.Erika battled through years of drug abuse.
Opioid abuse is a real issue in our country.
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Statistics show that every single day, more than 130 people in the United States die after abusing opioids.The consequences of opioid use are devastating.
via: Getty
And, more often than not, opioid abuse results in potentially fatal overdoses.Far too often, we read about people overdosing on drugs...
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And, all too often, there are innocent children left behind to watch as their parents succumb to drugs.And this is exactly what happened to Erika's child.
via: Facebook
Back in 2016, Erika hit a completely new low in her life.She overdosed while in the car...
via: Getty
Only 2 weeks after getting out of rehab. And, even more tragically, her son, Narcan, who was only 10-months-old at the time, was sat in the back throughout the ordeal.Erika was found in her parked up car outside a Dollar General store...
via: ABC News
And she was slumped in the driver's seat, fully unconscious, and still limply gripping her empty syringe.Passers-by saw Erika unconscious at the wheel and alerted the emergency services...
via: Facebook
And this is when her 10-month-old baby boy was discovered, sat crying and alone in the back of the car.Erika was immediately taken to hospital...
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And was miraculously revived with the opioid antidote, naloxone.However, Erika was then arrested.
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And she was subsequently charged with child neglect and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to the Associated Press. Hunt had violated her probation from a previous charge in 2014, so she was facing jail time.The police shared the photo of an overdosing Erika...
via: Getty
In a valiant attempt to demonstrate the country's growing issue with drug abuse and addiction.And it worked...
But it quickly served as a wake-up call.
And the photo has helped Erika stay on track...
Incredibly, she has now been sober for 3 years.
Her transformation is incredible.
And her and her son's photoshoot is adorable.
Erika's post went viral...
via: Facebook
But this time for the best reason. Over 100,000 people commented and reacted to the post, and she received a flurry of support, with one social media user writing, "Thank you for sharing this! You've done some hard work to get yourself clean so you can take care of your baby! Surround yourself with healthy people who can help you keep on track! Good job!"