Devastating Drug Addiction

Since David began writing about his journey with Nic, he's connected with many other parents struggling with addict children. Like Nic, Karen and Gordon say their son, Noah, excelled in childhood. "He was very good in school," Karen says. "He always got all As. He was an excellent athlete."

On the inside, Gordon says Noah was suffering. "When he was 13, he was abused by a coach," Gordon says. "As a result of this heinous act, my son initiated the use of alcohol and drugs, which led to a spiraling of his suffering. Noah turned to marijuana and alcohol on a regular basis. Later in his life, he moved to things like cocaine and heroin."

Over a three-year period, Noah's parents say he was hospitalized 19 times and had 84 visits to the emergency room. "He tried recovery so many times," Karen says. "He was just a shell of himself."

To help wean Noah off cocaine, his parents say doctors prescribed methadone. Three days later, Karen and Gordon received a phone call they will never forget. "He was passed out," Gordon says. "A white substance had come out of his nose or mouth."