Drug-Addicted Pregnant Women Now Have a Road to Recovery at Ruth House

Editor’s Note: This article, written by Max Caylor, first appeared in Pickens Progress.

A happy Tiffany Barnette stands beside baby items given to her for her baby coming March 21st. She is the first pregnant woman to be admitted to recovery at Ruth House who previously had a no-children policy.

“We have the potential to save not just one life but two since we changed our policy to accept pregnant women,” says Ruth House Board Chairperson Suzanne Harman. Although Ruth House Ministries has been serving drug and alcohol addicted women since 2008, their doors were closed to pregnant women.

The new policy, a possible spiritual intervention, began when an Ob-Gyn called the Ruth House to ask if they would take their 23-year-old pregnant patient. The caregiver did not know anything about Ruth House but it was the first resource that came up a Google search.

When Sonya Addison, the house administrator who took the call, asked Executive Director Penny Haynes what to do, she replied, “bring her; this is what we do.” Ruth House not only took the mom carrying a child but welcomed them with an offer for treatment and housing to be repaid later.

Ruth House Executive Director Penny Haynes and Board Chair Suzanne Harman stand with DAR Regent Mary Turner. They are in front of shower items given by the DAR members for Ruth Houses’ first pregnant resident.

Tiffany Barnette came to Ruth House on February 2 as the first pregnant resident and joined six other women in the recovery program for the regeneration of substance abuse. The Christ-centered program is a 12-month process using the 12-Step Celebrate Recovery data, addressing chemical dependency, life skills and more to help develop personal disciplines.

“My baby can have the life I never had as a child,” Tiffany said. She came from a dysfunctional family and started using drugs when she was 13 years old. Her use began with smoking pot with a girl friend and then her life got lost, including a two year prison stint.

The new mom and baby will be in a separate room on another level of the house from other residents of the program. Tina Coggins, the house manager, said, “this baby will have six other mothers because many of them, due to their drug use, will never have a baby.”

There is no doubt that Ruth House Ministries is a Christian recovery program because an inspirational scripture from I Corinthians 2:9 is written with colored chalk in the great room: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”

“I think we all have been touched by the tragedy of addiction either through a friend or family member because addiction is an equal opportunity tragedy,” said Suzanne Harman, board chairman.

Emily Grace is scheduled to be delivered on March 2lst at Piedmont Mountainside. For more info about Ruth House or to donate to the 501(c)(3)go to ruthhouseministries.org or call 706-334-8888.