GEORGETOWN, Ky. (LEX 18) — A Georgetown woman is trying to turn a very public mistake in her life into hope for those struggling with addiction.
Donna Martin was arrested in 2019 when she was accused of breaking into a Georgetown Bar after hours and stayed there until the employees came in to open.
"That night at the bar I was actually in a really bad meth psychosis," said Martin.
Martin says her mind was literally gone and it was an out-of-body experience. But after that night and all the public shaming came a transformation that turned her life in a new direction.
"Being arrested that night is what saved my life and I'm forever grateful for it," said Martin.
After she was locked up for three weeks, she was admitted to the Nile Addiction Recovery Treatment Center. She was then placed in a drug court program.
"Whenever I was in the drug court program, we had a bunch of like-minded people that wanted to get their life on track, and I was the only one with a vehicle. So I would orchestrate all their schedules with mine and get us to all our requirements for drug court and all our appointments and comp care," said Martin.
She became what she called "The Recovery Wagon".
"It's just amazing, you know, whenever you stay in position. What God has you do that outcome is far more than anything I would ever imagine," said Martin.
For two years, even after completing drug court and undergoing her own recovery, she kept it going. It's now officially a non-profit organization.
"The recovery wagon that Donna actually created I can say saves at least a couple lives a day. The way, I mean the way this team just volunteers their time and their energy to do what they do. In recovery we teach that together we can. And what I mean by that is, you know, we have to give away what was given to us and that means working together and helping each other about what choices people have made no matter what state of mind at the end, you know, we have to find a way to have a breakthrough of that person and get them help and Donna does that on a daily basis," said Chad Helm with the Isaiah House Treatment Center.
Martin completely changed her own life with a newfound purpose and wants to use her story to help whoever needs to hear it.
"If it's people that saw me in active addiction, just me sitting here is the message because I was completely gone," said Martin.
As she helped at the "Together We Can" event on Saturday, she ran to her recovery wagon to help someone in need.
"Just reach out, no matter how much pride or shame or guilt, you have, there is a solution," said Martin.
