Heather Krowchuk

In the past, I worked with high risk women. One young woman was early in her pregnancy, about 10 weeks, when I first contacted her. She was a substance user, in an abusive relationship, and trying to get clean. I explained to her my role, how I would help her and that I would check in on her once a week. We agreed that I would call her every Tuesday.

She did well for a few months, and then just disappeared. I would call her every Tuesday, like I promised, and if she didn’t answer I would leave a voice message. This went on for many months, but then, one Tuesday she finally answered the phone and explained she had relapsed. We started again and made a plan. She was ready to leave her partner and enter rehab. We found her a safe place to stay, treatment for her substance use, and I carried on with the phone calls to her on Tuesdays. She cycled in and out of substance use, and many times she would not answer my Tuesday phone call, but I continued to leave messages for her.

She delivered her baby and managed to stay clean and sober, leave her partner, and begin a new life. I spoke to her on one of our follow up calls and she thanked me for everything I had done for her throughout the pregnancy. She asked me “Why did you keep calling me?”

I told her “That’s what we agreed on.”

She replied, “But I never called you back.” She further explained how important that Tuesday phone call was to her. She knew that every Tuesday, I was going to call. That no matter what was going on with her addictions, or with her abusive partner, I would be checking in on her on that day., On the hard days, that was what kept her going. That someone believed in her and that “You didn’t give up on me.”

She knew that when she was ready, or needed help, all she had to do was answer that phone, and the support she required would be available. The assurance that Heather was there and hadn’t given up on her played a crucial role in preventing her from giving up on herself.

Heather Krowchuk, RN, Calgary