Heroes in Our Midst A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles. ~ Christopher Reeve By Jay Mason
E
arly last summer I noticed, as I drove to work down Second Street, a large number of zombie-like people wandering in no particular direction. One day I counted 25 such people just on that road. This experience went on for several days. Of course, these people were not zombies, but our fellow human beings addicted to drugs and alcohol. Late in the summer, the number dropped, and I realized that some of these poor individuals had been picked up and taken to the Detox Center operated as the Na’Nizhoozhi Center and supported by the City of Gallup.
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November 2017
Recently two former residents returned to Gallup and had the foresight and understanding to reopen Behavioral Health at the old Rehoboth Hospital. Those people were David Conejo and Dr. Tom Carmany. David is CEO of the hospital, and Tom is President of Western Health Foundation. Several years ago, Behavioral Health closed, but fortunately, the building was in relatively good shape. David and Tom intended to start slowly and open a few beds for a 90 day treatment program. Eight beds and the necessary staff seemed appropriate. They were able to do just that, but then it became clear almost immediately that the demand was great. In one month, they went from those 8 beds to 18 beds. The number increased almost monthly, and in the course
of the first year, they reached their current number of 50 beds. Twelve more beds have also been added for transitional care. Raising money to care for these needy people is not easy. These programs rely primarily on government money to survive. It is hard to raise money from the private sector for this type of health care because most people believe that the patients have brought this problem on themselves. That may be true, but this problem affects all of us. If things are ever going to get better, everyone will have to contribute in some way. The path to freedom from alcoholism and other drug abuse for most street people begins at the Detox Center or NCI. They
