Addiction doesn’t discriminate. The opioid crisis touches all corners of the United States, including — as of this month — Sesame Street.
Roughly 57 million children in the United States under the age of 11 live with a parent who struggles with addiction. Karli, the friendly green six and a half year old muppet recently introduced to Sesame Street viewers, is one of them.
In a recent video clip, Elmo is seen asking his dad why Karli’s mom was away for a while and now looks and acts differently than she did before.
“Karli’s mommy has a kind of sickness, and she had to get some help,” his dad explains. Not the same sickness as when Elmo gets the flu, but a disease called addiction.
“Addiction is often seen as a ‘grown-up’ issue, but it impacts children in ways that aren’t always visible,” Sherrie Westin, president of Social Impact and Philanthropy, Sesame Workshop recently said. “Having a parent battling addiction can be one of the most isolating and stressful situations young children and their families face.”
Opioid addiction affects some children before they are even born
As an opioid NAS lawyer Memphis TN has turned to, I’m pleased to see Sesame Street tackling this crisis with honesty. Children are often this epidemic’s invisible victims, and we need to be talking about it.
Not only do children like Karli suffer from watching a parent in the throes of active addiction, many of them are actually born addicted to the drugs their mothers took while pregnant.
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) is a group of symptoms that a newborn baby experiences when withdrawing from narcotics its mother used during pregnancy. It can mean lifelong struggles and medical care for a child. New studies have also found that a mother’s prenatal opioid use may stunt a child’s learning.
Contact us today to speak with an opioid NAS lawyer Memphis TN trusts
It’s heartbreaking to know an innocent child is suffering. Our lawyers are committed to getting justice for the families affected by this epidemic. Contact Darrell Castle & Associates to speak to a top dangerous drugs lawyer Memphis, TN has trusted for years.
Darrell Castle & Associates, PLLC is a law firm Memphis has trusted for over thirty years. If you believe your adopted child was exposed to opioids during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or that you suffered from NAS as in infant, we want to speak with you. We will fight for your rights and make every effort to get you the care and compensation you deserve with the help of an opioid NAS Lawyer Memphis TN can rely on.
Contact us online today or call 901-327-1212 to speak in person with lawyers who can get you the justice you deserve.