Packed house in La Crosse on drug epidemic forum

Lybert family shares its story
of addiction and recovery

A packed house for a forum on the surging epidemic in the community, dubbed “A Night for Hope.” 

Among those featured in the forum: The Lybert family from Oconomowoc, Wis.

They shared their story Monday night at the Cargill room at the Waterfront in downtown La Crosse.

From Tyler, the addict to drugs and alcohol, to his family and how they dealt with the years abuse and then, finally, the road to recovery.

 “I was down at that low point,” Tyler said. “I was where all addicts go to die. And, look where we are today. So, if you didn’t have help before … or hope before, I hope you do now, because we’ve been there, we’ve lived and we’ve survived. And so many others do, too.

“Anybody that thinks this isn’t possible. Trust me, it is.”

Tyler, now 28, says he suffers from severe health problems because of his heroin use, but he wouldn’t be alive today had he not entered treatment several years ago. 

Heroin overdose deaths, in the Midwest especially, have surged in the past decade.

Health workers and law enforcement say abuse of prescription opioid drugs are frequently the gateway to heroin addiction. 

Drug use is plaguing the community and heroin is the killer – figuratively and literally.

“Everything came to a stop,” Tyler’s mother, Sandy, said. “Every single thing came to a stop.

“We woke up every morning thinking, ‘What are we facing today? How are we going to handle today? Is he going to be alive today? Are we going to make it today?’ “

And so far, they have.

Watch the entire forum clicking here.