Bella Vista woman warns of drugs’ devastating effects

ROGERS — Kaela Hickman of Bella Vista knows the devastation substance abuse causes. She shared her story of addiction and perseverance on Friday.

Hickman and Kim Umber were featured at Drug Free Benton County’s luncheon at the John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers, an event held every October for the past 13 years in recognition of Substance Abuse Awareness Month.

“I understand how hopeless it is when people are on drugs, and I understand the hell that it brings,” Hickman said after the luncheon. “I believe that God gave me my story to impact people’s lives and help others. Hickman shared her story of drug abuse in a video at Friday’s program.

Drug Free Benton County started in 1998, and each year strives to fight substance abuse by reaching out to school children, said Rick McLeod, president of the group.

“The conduit for that is school resource officers,” he said.

The luncheon, which featured speakers and videos, was attended by more than 100 law enforcement officers and city leaders from across Northwest Arkansas.

“We’re trying to reach kids at an age before they have to make the choice,” said Chad Brown, board member of Drug Free Benton County. “We want to arm them with the right information so they can make the right choices and not have drugs destroy their lives.”

Drugs nearly destroyed Hickman’s life.

“I think it starts out as a recreation, as partying and having fun,” she said. “I don’t think people realize the first time they try a drug they’re hooked. I don’t think they think that when they try a drug that it could lead to the destruction of their life.”

Hickman spoke candidly.

“When I turned 18, I started drinking and smoking pot,” Hickman said in the video. “Alcohol turned into pot and pot turned into cocaine, and I ended up becoming a severe meth addict. I’ve been to jail a dozen times. I was literally on death’s door. I was broken.”

Hickman said using methamphetamine put her in dangerous situations with dangerous people. A near-fatal accident on Sept. 4, 2014, woke her up.

“I was in a serious accident when I was 5 months pregnant,” she said. “My doctor told me I would never walk again unless I had surgeries that would kill my baby.”

Hickman didn’t undergo the surgeries. She gave birth to daughter Everly Seraphina on Dec. 29, 2014, and through her own efforts is walking again.

“I have been clean for two years,” she said. “Since I have been clean and away from those people and places, my life has been better. I have never been this happy or successful.”

Umber, a Springdale resident and Drug Free Benton County board member, spoke at the luncheon. She also speaks at grade schools about her deceased daughter Michelle Hudson’s battle with drugs.

“She started doing drugs at 20 years old and she died at 25,” Umber said. “She was an addict immediately.”

Hudson started taking drugs when her father offered her methamphetamine, Umber said.

“She wanted to connect with her dad because they hadn’t been close,” she said. “She did it just once, and it became all she could think about. She had such a sweet heart. She didn’t want to do it, but the pull to do the drugs was more powerful than her.”

On Feb. 1, 2008, Hudson committed suicide. She now lives on through her mother’s words warning children of the dangers of drug use. Umber spoke last week to more than 600 kids at the Siloam Springs Middle School, and on Sept. 30 she spoke to about 100 kids at Old High Middle School in Bentonville.

“We show them her picture and tell them she was the most beautiful, kind-hearted, athletic, sweet girl who didn’t mean to do anything wrong, but the moment she touched meth it consumed her,” Umber said.

“I lost everybody in my life who was dear to me. I felt absolutely hopeless. … To get out of my situation was death.” Kaela Hickman