Turning Point

Heather Marie Solomon settles into a comfortable position on the bed in the small room she is renting. While living in one room is not ideal, Solomon is grateful that she no longer spends her nights in jail. Holding back sobs, she begins to explain the events that led to her being incarcerated 37 times.

In 1995, one year after having her first daughter, a naïve Solomon found herself hooked on cocaine. A rough crowd in downtown Portland enabled her growing addiction as they introduced her to heroine and the world of holding and selling drugs. Solomon’s frequent drug related arrests led to her daughter being removed from her care.

When Solomon became pregnant with her second child, her Parole Officer incarcerated her until three months after the delivery to ensure that the baby would have a chance at survival. Unable to get clean, Solomon put her second baby up for adoption. Her voice catching, she recalled that with the loss of both her children she felt like she had nothing to live for.

Solomon continued to heavily smoke drugs as she lived on the street. The officers who picked her up often teased, “Solomon, we’ll leave the lights on for you,” knowing that her return to jail was inevitable. The 37thtime Solomon found herself on the cold floor of a jail cell inhaling the stench of the 20 other women packed around her, she was certain she was going to die.

Caesar Anaya, her boyfriend at the time, cared for a diminished Solomon. Tears begin streaming down her face as she remembers, “He said, ‘You know Heather, if you want to stop using, if you want a good life, I will be there for you. You just have to want to stop.’” Solomon had never experienced that level of support from anyone in her adult life. She expressed, “Him telling me those few words, and him showing me his devotion to my sobriety… it meant the world to me.”

March 7th will mark Solomon’s tenth year sober. Solomon reflects that she never imagined herself having a safe place to live, a job, a relationship with her children, or even being alive. But she has achieved all of these accomplishments. Anaya remains an important friend to Solomon. When asked what amazes him most about her, Anaya offered, “The strength that she has. She is hope for everybody.”

As Solomon looks towards the future, she hopes to go into prisons and tell her story to women who are struggling with addiction. She explained that those who are incarcerated are only told the negative facts about their situation. “I just want to give hope to even just one person.”