Sarah's Saga
Sarah's Saga, Post Pandemic Fallout
Sarah Wallingford, 31, ended up at a homeless encampment along the Kennebec River in Waterville, Maine after her boyfriend was hospitalized with COVID-19 and she was evicted from their apartment for non-payment of rent. Wallingford has been using drugs like methamphetamine since she was in high school.
She was physically and sexually abused as a child and lost her father to suicide. Over the summer she overdosed at least a half-dozen times but neighbors at the encampment would revive her with Narcan.
One time, she overdosed for a second time soon after being released from the hospital following another overdose. “Why did you save me?” she asked after being revived. Unlike others at the camp, she couldn’t take care of herself and suffered from severe depression. Without an intervention, Wallingford will likely die, either from an overdose, the harsh conditions of being homeless, or a combination of the two.