SPOKANE, Wash. — Four-month-old Zachariah, from all appearances, is a perfect baby boy. What you can’t see is the battle he’s fighting inside. Zachariah was born with drugs in his system.
His mom, Mary, was a meth and Fentanyl user for seven years. She was using until she found out she was pregnant.
Mary checked herself into a drug rehab in Seattle and got on Methadone to help her get clean, but Methadone is also a narcotic. That drug was being passed on to Zachariah. “He had to stay in the NICU for like a month and a half,” said Mary.
When Zachariah was released from Sacred Heart’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, he came to Maddie’s Place , which also took in Mary to keep the mother and her baby connected.
Bonding within the first 90 days is one of the first struggles these drug-affected babies often face. What’s uncertain is what happens later in life. These kids often face learning, behavioral and mental health challenges. Intervention now could change the course of their entire life.