HANCOCK COUNTY — She had a good grip on the strings attached to a dozen pink balloons. When she raised up her hand and let them go, Darlene Hatfield watched them float into the soft blue morning sky, and she smiled.
Hatfield knew her daughter, Ashley Burton, 26, who died from drugs in 2014, was with her in spirit, pushing her to continue to reach out and support others trying to stay clean, Hatfield said.
“I always feel anxious, but I feel Ashley’s presence is here, and that makes it all worthwhile,” Hatfield said.
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Saturday marked the fifth annual Ashley Burton Recovery Walk and rally, an event held at the Hancock County Courthouse Plaza to bring awareness to drug addiction and recovery in the county. The annual outreach is sponsored by the Hancock County Probation Department; The Landing Place; a local counseling center for teens; and the Talitha Koum Women’s Recovery House.
Burton, an Eastern Hancock High School graduate, didn’t fit the mold into which many like to put addicts, her mother said. She was a straight-A student, a cheerleader, an all-around good kid who loved animals and worked hard. But one bad decision got her involved with illegal drugs, and they destroyed her life.
“It just goes to show if this can happen to my daughter, it can happen to anyone,” Hatfield said.
The walk is conducted in September to mark National Recovery Month and is designed to challenge stigmas surrounding substance abuse and shed light on recovery programs.
This year, organizers celebrated the life of another county resident who, like Burton, lost his battle with drug addiction: Damon Wheeler, 47, Greenfield.
Wheeler died in 2018 from an overdose of fentanyl, said Mary Dyier, his mother. His death came as a shock, particularly after he had made strides to get his life back in order. Wheeler had graduated from the local heroin protocol recovery program and was known for helping others get to counseling sessions. He was always encouraging people to stay clean, his mother said.
“He was a such a kind soul and helped so many people, but he couldn’t help himself,” his mother said.
That someone like Wheeler — who was committed to his recovery until a fateful moment — could tragically stumble should show the community how dangerous drugs are, his good friend Sarah Snodgrass said.
“Damon gave me so much hope,” said Snodgrass, who is also in recovery. “He’d been through so much of what I’ve been through, and he was so strong for me and others, but he forgot to be strong for himself.”
For Snodgrass, Wheeler was the one person who believed in her and showed her life was worth living and that she was more than just a “drug addict,” she said.
“I was so shocked when I heard he had passed because of drugs,” Snodgrass said. “He was not using, but it shows us that just one more time can kill you. That’s a powerful message that I learned.”
Saturday’s walk included a three-mile loop on the Pennsy Trail in Greenfield, through downtown and back to the courthouse. In addition to bringing light to the issue of addiction and recovery, 30 recovery resource programs set up information booths on the Courthouse Plaza to offer solutions for addicts and their families.
Greenfield Mayor Chuck Fewell and Hancock County Prosecutor Brent Eaton helped kick off the morning activities, showing their support for county programs designed to aid people’s recovery. Both spoke to a crowd of about 150 people.
“What changes people’s behavior is when there is hope in the heart,” Eaton said. “We need to show that they are not alone and that as a community we do care.”
The mayor said the county is lucky to have the support groups, including assistance programs where people are willing to step up and help save someone’s life.
“That’s the important part about all of this,” the mayor said.
Those resources weren’t fully available for Hatfield’s family. When her daughter first became addicted to drugs several years ago, the family couldn’t find any resources locally, she said. They had to go to Indianapolis for help. The walk on Saturday, and the supporters who showed up, show how much awareness has grown.
“Ashley could get her hands on any drug she wanted in this county, but we couldn’t get help for the addiction, but that’s changing now,” Hatfield said.
