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FARMINGTON — Hillary Kemp is like many in Utah: She loves someone who is addicted to drugs.
"(It's) an emotional roller coaster for sure," said Kemp, who lives in Farmington.
David Talbot was reared a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which teaches members to abstain from alcohol and drug use. But Talbot turned to drugs as a teenager when his parents divorced.
"It started with alcohol, but it wasn't but a few days before I was into drugs," Talbot said, from a room inside the John Volken Academy in Vancouver, British Columbia. "I hit the ground running. I was really looking to fill the void."
Talbot has struggled with addiction ever since. He and Kemp met online when Talbot was clean, but he relapsed.
"Addiction is a horrible thing to live with," Kemp said. "I love him regardless, and I do feel I was blessed to see him without the drugs and alcohol."
She believes he can change, but it's a long road to recovery.
"There wasn't a sober moment," Talbot said. "There wasn't a moment that went by when I, A, wasn't high; or B, trying to find a way to get drugs and alcohol."
With the wish to beat his addictions for good, Talbot enrolled at the John Volken Academy, a drug and alcohol treatment center. He'll be there for two years, working, eating and living with other addicts who also want to change. And he knows only he holds the power to make this work.
"I can't do it for my family, my loved ones, my friends, even Hillary," he said. "It's hard to relay that message to the people you love and not hurt them."
Kemp knows that ultimatums don't work. She wants to be the one constant in his life — rooting him on and helping him recover.
"It's worth it because you see that determination that Dave has shown, and it makes me love him even more," she said.
"Addiction is a very dark thing and nobody wants to admit it, and no one wants to admit they have a problem," Talbot said.
Talbot is not alone. Over the past decade, Utah has had a 400 percent increase in death from prescription drug overdoses, according to the Utah Department of Health. It's now one of the leading causes of injury-related death. Twenty-one Utahns die from prescription medications each month, UDOH says.
Talbot said he felt shame about his addiction because of the conservative values he was reared with, but those same beliefs are helping him get better.
"What I was raised with, how I was raised, really gave me some core values that I lean on now, and I've learned quite a bit," he said.
Putting all her faith into Talbot's recovery, Kemp is now training for the Vancouver Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 Marathon and 10K Run Fundraiser to help him and others like him who are trying to beat the shadow of addiction.
Kemp believes Talbot will cross that finish line, both literally and figuratively.
"It's a blessing that he's in my life, and it's a blessing that he's able to move on," she said.
The race is Oct. 24-25 in Vancouver, B.C. If you'd like to give, visit https://www.crowdrise.com/hillary-teamvolken/fundraiser/hillaryfullerkemp*.
*KSL.com does not assure that the monies deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
