One of the main goals of our weekly Faces of Recovery series is to feature local Bell County citizens who have struggled with and subsequently overcome substance addiction. However, since beginning the Faces of Recovery series, the Daily News has received correspondence from people outside of Bell County who have read the series and have stories of their own they want to share.

Addiction is a universal issue that transcends borders and county lines. It does not matter where a person comes from, their struggle with addiction will resonate with anybody who has had their lives affected by it. So while this week’s Faces of Recovery story is not a Bell native, they do indeed have a story to tell.

Megan Noelle Walford, who is currently staying at the Dream Center in Jackson, Tennessee, first starting using drugs in 2015. Walford suffered the tragic loss of the death of her son. Walford soon became addicted to methamphetamine.

“I wanted to numb the pain of losing my son,” she said. “I would start the day off by getting high. If I didn’t have the money for it, I would lie to loved ones in order to get the money or I would steal. If neither one of those plans worked, I would stay in bed. I would get angry with my husband because I couldn’t get high.”

Since she began using, Walford has moved from residence to residence, been arrested and lost custody of her daughter.

What made Walford finally decide to seek treatment was being eight months pregnant and getting randomly drug tested by her probation officer —a test she failed.

“I broke down in front of my probation officer. She looked at me and asked me if I wanted help. I said yes,” said Walford.

In treatment, Walford learned how to cope with the loss of her son.

“I learned how to handle a bad day when I’m thinking about him. I also learned how to celebrate his birthdays and holidays without getting high,” she said.