Bearer of hope
Lyn o’ Connell, Chesapeake, Ohio
Associate director of the Division of Addiction Sciences, at Marshall Health and development team member for Project Hope for Women and Children
THE MOVE, THE CHOICE
“When we chose to remain in West Virginia, my husband and I sort of said: We are all in on Huntington, and whatever it takes to be part of the community, and use our talents and strengths to both learn and engage in the community, we’ll do.”
A COMMUNITY NEED
“When I first moved here I worked from more of an individual focus and recognized that, if we take a specific population, which is pregnant or parenting women, they are often forced to choose between a life of recovery or access to treatment on the one hand, or parenting on the other. That’s a really unfair and almost impossible choice. So, they won’t go to treatment because they don’t want to leave their kids, but they almost can’t maintain their kids because they can’t go to treatment. That really influenced our development of Project Hope for Women and Children, which is the first model of its kind in West Virginia, allowing women who are pregnant or parenting to bring their children with them.”
MAKING THE DIFFERENCE
“Working in substance misuse and recovery is an area where you can really see change. I think it is somewhere where you can really see the difference that treatment is making, that community is making, that the human spirit is able to make overall.”
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER 2021 WEST VIRGINIA WONDER WOMEN
Learn more about our Wonder Women
Since 2014 WV Living magazine has been honoring West Virginia Wonder Women, amazing women who are raising the bar in their communities, serving as beacons of light in their industries, and forcing change for the greater good. WV Living is proud to celebrate these Appalachian mothers, millennials, and mavens proving that in a time full of uncertainty, divisiveness, and hate, love for one another is all we really need. No need for bulletproof bracelets or a golden lasso of truth—these women are creating a better West Virginia with their can-do attitudes and Mountain State spirit.
Leave a Reply