Newtown Parent Connection founder Dorrie Carolan appeared no worse for wear as she looked back on three events her organization recently produced and hosted.

"This was the best couple of weeks ever for the Parent Connection," she said as she reflected on the trifecta of successes that she, her board, participants, and guests experienced during a series of talks by a pair of renowned addiction prevention specialists, a separate alcohol abuse and vaping forum, and a debut gala for the group that attracted nearly twice the attendance than Ms Carolan expected.

"Our goal for this first gala was to sell 100 tickets, and maybe have five or ten silent auction items," she told

The Newtown Bee during a chat at her Fairfield Hills office. "But we ended up selling 174 tickets, and while a lot of those people were our local supporters, it was so great to meet a number of guests who had no previous contact with the Parent Connection, but who came out because they knew about the important work we are doing."

The gala, which was organized primarily by resident Maggie Conway, helped raise nearly $12,000, which will help underwrite future events and the Parent Connection's recurring support groups.

The the nonprofit was originally conceived by Ms Carolan after she learned her son, Brian, had become addicted to drugs. She envisioned a grassroots agency that brought families together so they would feel more supported and less stigmatized - or paralyzed - by their own loved ones' addictions.

But after Ms Carolan lost her son to a prescription drug overdose in 1999, Newtown Parent Connection (NPC) became Ms Carolan's full-time work.

For those Newtown residents watching a son or daughter or other loved ones as they struggle with a drug or alcohol addiction, the agency's weekly Hope & Support meetings provide a facilitated, confidential venue to get information on how to handle a child's suspected or confirmed substance use. For others left behind when a child or grandchild, brother, sister, or parent has sadly lost their battle, the NPC offers empathy and help through a monthly facilitated bereavement group where surviving loved ones can find some degree of solace among peers who have endured similar tragedies.

The agency continues to plan workshops and other gatherings that bring in experts or motivational speakers addressing current issues and trends related to drugs, alcohol, or recovery. And the group's annual Parent University provides loved ones and professionals a full day of speakers, workshops, and support.

But for the moment, a quiet afternoon at her office provided an opportunity to reflect on the latest activities that touched hundreds of Newtown residents.

'Not My Kid'

Having attended a number of the sessions hosting "Judge Jodi" Switalski and Bob Stutman, Newtown Assistant Superintendent of Schools Jean Evans Davila said that Ms Carolan's efforts providing Newtown students and the community with such an opportunity for education outreach on opiates and the impact of drug abuse, "is an example of the Newtown Parent Connection's willingness to partner with the schools in caring for the well-being of our students and families."

"I was present for the assembly with the high school students, and I participated in the parent forum, as well," Dr Davila said, adding that during a post-event school board meeting, student Dylan Lew shared his thoughts about the high school assembly, which she said captured "the perspective that matters most, the voice of our students."

Reciting from a text of his remarks, she said that Dylan told the board that this assembly was different than most.

"The way the speakers addressed the students was significantly more engaging than presentations in the past have been," he said. "The presenters were refreshingly realistic, and rather than preaching to students, they provided the facts, which we feel were presented in an extremely motivating way, thereby conducive to students making smart decisions on their own accord."

"Through my lens as assistant superintendent, the evening program for parents seemed to be well received by those in attendance, with a number of thought-provoking questions posed to the speakers by our community," Dr Davila said. "My impression is that the parents found the information to be timely and important."

Having experienced the way the issue of addiction affected her own family, Ms Carolan found an empathetic colleague in Judge Switalski.

"I appreciated her honesty in telling parents and loved ones that once a kid is hooked, they are in for a long journey," Ms Carolan said. "I know from talking to so many of our own clients over the years that parents naturally try to protect their kids and are hopeful that rehabilitation takes. But these kids really need to be removed from the environment where they were using, and away from the people they were using with. Loving them just isn't enough."

Grand Rounds At Danbury Hospital

Another uplifting aspect of the Switalski/Stutman visit was a well-attended series of grand rounds at Danbury Hospital.

"All the doctors who came stayed for well over the hour we planned," Ms Carolan said. "They had a lot of great questions, and some even stayed for a second session."

She said at least one department head was so impressed that he is planning to try and find a way to bring the program back to Parent Connection's newest partnering school district in Fairfield, and to do another set of grand rounds with physicians at Norwalk Hospital.

The final event April 4 was a forum on the dangers of vaping and underage drinking. The first subject was presented by Susan Richards of St Vincent's Hospital's Smoking Sensation program. Ms Carolan said that Ms Richards covered a lot of information, but succinctly reviewed virtually everything that parents, educators, and caregivers needed to know about electronic cigarettes, and the addicting or sometimes toxic substances youths are putting into them.

That workshop also included a sobering talk by Aaron Cooksey. The young man told the audience how he began drinking and driving after suffering the first of two sports-related injuries as he was playing sports on a college scholarship and working toward becoming an elementary school teacher.

After suffering a second injury, Mr Cooksey said things got worse, and he was eventually involved in a motor vehicle crash that took the life of his best friend, resulting in a four-year jail sentence and losing his driver's license for life.

"Because of the choices I have made, I cannot become a teacher," he related in his talk. "But, I have made the next best choice, and now travel the country educating young adults about my life."

Ms Carolan said that among the 70 attendees for this workshop were a number of parents who brought along their teen children. The feedback from them and other attendees indicated that this was an activity Newtown Parent Connection should consider bringing back to Newtown in the near future.

To learn more about the services of the Parent Connection, to request help, to help through a donation or volunteerism, or for any other immediate assistance, call 203-270-1600, or learn more at newtownparentconnection.org