Mother finds redemption after drug addiction

Oct. 4, 2016: A mother who fought addiction and criminal charges for giving birth to a drug addicted baby is sharing her story of redemption to encourage others who are in a similar situation.

Robin Wilhoit, WBIR 6:12 PM. EST October 04, 2016

A Tennessee mother who has struggled with addiction wants to make it easier to find help.

Only 11 percent of people who need treatment for drug addiction in Tennessee actually receive it, according to the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse.

And there’s a growing epidemic of babies born drug dependent in East Tennessee.

Brittany Hudson’s teens and early 20’s were consumed with alcohol and oxycodone.

In 2014, Hudson was pregnant and addicted. She became one of the first women in Tennessee charged under a new state law with assaulting her unborn child.

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Her daughter Braylee was born drug dependent and taken away from her.

Hudson called it rock bottom.

But going through treatment and her mother’s tough love eventually pulled Brittany out of addiction. Now she’s been clean for 21 months, has joint custody of Braylee, and works at a Knoxville drug treatment facility on a mission to help other addicted pregnant women.

“A lot of them are like, I just can’t believe you’ve used drugs. They are shocked and I’m like I’ve been exactly where you’ve been if not worse,” Hudson described.

Earlier this year she took her fight to Nashville and convinced legislators to end the law that put her and other addicted mothers behind bars.

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“Even if I wasn’t charged with it I would have still fought against it because the babies need their moms and you have to help the mom for the baby to be born clean…that’s my belief,” Hudson said.

Brittany’s answer to the pill addiction epidemic is more treatment and a need for more resources.

Until there a more ways to help addicted moms, Brittany is willingly sharing her story as a form of treatment for others and herself.

(© 2016 WBIR)