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  • National Recovery Month: Denver man who battled opioid, heroin addiction shares his story to inspire others

    National Recovery Month: Denver man who battled opioid, heroin addiction shares his story to inspire others

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    DENVER — September is National Recovery Month, and according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, seven out of 10 adults with substance use disorder consider themselves in recovery.

    Doug Eisiminger said a skiing accident in 2007 led to a downward spiral.

    “Life was good. I was a bartender downtown, making great money, living my best life. Then I tore my MCL skiing,” said Eisiminger.

    Eisiminger was prescribed opioids for pain control, and he quickly became addicted.

    “The opiates started becoming very popular because they were saying that they were safe and they were nonaddictive,” said Dr. Ernesto Herfter, a physician with AdventHealth Porter Hospital, of typical medical advice during the 90s and 2000s. Herter did not prescribe the opioids to Eisiminger.

    Eisiminger said his painkiller addiction eventually led him to heroin use. He said his severe addiction lasted for more than a decade.

    “I was out committing crime every day to feed my addiction. I got pulled over by the Denver Police Department and I was given Denver Drug Court,” he said. “I focused on getting done in one year and being back to the same old life. About probably six, seven months into the program, I realized that life wasn’t for me anymore.”

    His recovery treatment led him to Dr. Herfter.

    “When he came to see me the first time, he was discharged from the hospital, he had just been amputated, one arm, because he got necrosis from getting multiple injections of heroin. He was also withdrawing from opioids, so he was in a very bad shape,” Herfter said.

    The doctor added buprenorphine to Doug’s recovery plan, a painkiller that was approved by the FDA as an opioid addiction therapy in 2002. Since then, it’s become a well-used treatment for recovery.

    “It’s a partial agonist. It doesn’t fill the whole [brain] receptor. It doesn’t give you the sensation of euphoria, but it decreases the cravings completely because it covered that part of the receptor,” said Herfter.

    Now an addiction recovery advocate, Doug hopes to inspire others to find the help that works best for them.

    “You have to get to that point in life where you want that help,” Eisiminger said, “Life’s great. I have a full-time job, I’m paying my bills. I love life.”

    Coloradans making a difference | Denver7 featured videos

    Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what’s right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.

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    Danielle Kreutter

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  • AdventHealth Awards Nearly $1 Million to Central Florida Nonprofits

    AdventHealth Awards Nearly $1 Million to Central Florida Nonprofits

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    AdventHealth is distributing nearly $1 million to recipients of its 2023 Community Health Improvements Grants, giving four Central Florida nonprofits the opportunity to bolster their missions.

    These Community Health Improvement Grants aim to improve access to resources and enhance community wellness.

    Mental health was selected as the priority for the 2024 funding cycle based on community health issues addressed in the 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment and 2023-2025 Community Health Plan.

    The grants will support the projects of these local nonprofits that address Central Florida’s mental and behavioral health challenges.

    “AdventHealth understands that it takes a collaborative approach to address our region’s pressing health challenges, which is why investing back into our community is a priority for us. There is a need for easily accessible mental health services in Central Florida, and these organizations are answering the call for help,” said Tricia Edris, chief innovation and partnerships officer for AdventHealth Central Florida Division. “They are working tirelessly for their communities, ensuring that those in need receive vital resources. We are proud to partner with these nonprofits as they continue to address the needs of our community with the support of the Community Health Improvement Grants.”

    The grant recipients are:

    • Hispanic Federation – Florida Regional Division, Por Nosotros: Facilitating Mental Health Care for Latinos: The Hispanic Federation aims to provide culturally competent mental wellness programming in both English and Spanish to Hispanic community members in Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties. The grant will support their programming that includes intensive education to 300 individuals about mental health, available services, and other aspects of living a healthy lifestyle. The Hispanic Federation will also provide culturally sensitive community education addressing the misconceptions and stigma of mental wellness and avenues to seek support.
    • MAN UP Mentoring, Inc., The Man Up Grace Project – Immersive Mental Health Pilot Project: This pilot mindfulness program includes the use of virtual reality coupled with traditional therapy to reduce maladaptive behaviors in students while improving their stress and anxiety levels. Funding will support the creation and implementation of cutting-edge mental health software for students in need enrolled in Orange County Public Schools’ Title I Schools.
    • Gifted Ones, Inc., GO! Mental Health Initiative: This initiative offers personal well-being and professional development resources to mental health professionals of all disciplines and roles who are looking to maintain a sustainable career that supports their wellness. With this grant, the initiative will provide tailored training and support services to 75 mental health professionals and mental health support staff as well as scholarships for up to 100 hours of qualified supervision to 40 pre-licensed mental health professionals to increase access and decrease barriers for mental health professionals seeking state licensure.
    • Above and Beyond – Children and Community Services, Wraparound: The program creates positive changes in the lives of youths and families in the tri-county area by aiming to prevent the escalation of mental health needs that may lead to more intensive services. The grant will fund a care coordinator and family advocate, which will allow the organization to provide the wraparound process to 100 individuals with complex mental health needs in Orange County, Osceola County and Seminole County.

    “By improving access to mental health resources in Central Florida, more people will be able to get the information and help they need,” said Laudi Campo, state director of the Hispanic Federation. “We are grateful for AdventHealth’s support, because through this grant, we aim to break down barriers and eliminate the stigma that prevents people from seeking help, empowering them to prioritize and improve their mental health.”

    The next application cycle for the Community Health Improvement Grants will focus on workforce development, and is slated to open this spring.

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  • Orlando woman donates kidney to mother to save her life

    Orlando woman donates kidney to mother to save her life

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    Imagine having your life on the line and asking total strangers to save your life. That’s what someone in need of an organ transplant does every day. As a wife, mom and kindergarten teacher, Jackie Rothermich has had a full life. But last year, Jackie needed someone to help save her life.She recorded and posted a video to Facebook asking for someone to donate a kidney. She included a jingle like she often used in the classroom. “All I want for Christmas is a new kidney. You could be a live donor and change things for me,” she sang.After 30 years of teaching, Jackie was diagnosed with kidney failure. Doctors said she had only months to find a donor. “I was going through things, like okay, ‘my will is in order. Who gets what, jewelry-wise? It was the scariest time of my life,” she said. No one would or could give in time. The family was now looking at hospice care.Jackie’s 26-year-old daughter Courtney Rothermich decided she wanted to donate. “I can’t imagine a world without her. I wasn’t ready to imagine a world without her or a world where her quality of life was so different than what she had hoped for,” Courtney said.After months of testing, Courtney turned out to be a match. But her mother was hesitant. Courtney had her whole life ahead of her. “I needed to know that she can have babies. She can bungee jump. She can do whatever she wants,” Jackie said.Reassured, the kidney transplant surgery was scheduled at AdventHealth Orlando. “We were just excited. I mean, scared, scared to death, anxiety-ridden with, you know, it’s a scary process,” Courtney said.Courtney said she wanted to give something of herself to the person who gave everything to her. “I was a little bit out of it from the anesthesia, but my first thought was I want to see my mom,” Courtney said. “When you walked in, I could tell, ‘oh my gosh, this is going to be okay,’” Jackie said.There was no guarantee Jackie’s body would accept the kidney, but doctors said Jackie almost immediately began healing. “They don’t take your kidneys out. They just add the extra in which is amazing. I named it Sydney the kidney,” Jackie said.Jackie had to quarantine after surgery with a suppressed immune system but she still found a way to thank her donor.She had a surprise sign put up in her daughter’s yard: “My hero. My donor.” “I was afraid to live in a world without my mom. So if I could do something that could change that outcome for us, then why not now?” Courtney said. Now, Courtney and Jackie still have their whole lives ahead of them. “You are my Powerball. You get one chance in life to be lucky, and you were it. Thank you. I love you,” Jackie said. Jackie is actually headed out of the house for the first time Thursday night since her surgery in July. Mom, dad and daughter went to see “Hamilton.”They hope their story inspires others to donate. AdventHealth’s Transplant Institute is the only transplant program in Central Florida.

    ORLANDO, Fla. —

    Imagine having your life on the line and asking total strangers to save your life. That’s what someone in need of an organ transplant does every day.

    As a wife, mom and kindergarten teacher, Jackie Rothermich has had a full life. But last year, Jackie needed someone to help save her life.

    She recorded and posted a video to Facebook asking for someone to donate a kidney. She included a jingle like she often used in the classroom.

    “All I want for Christmas is a new kidney. You could be a live donor and change things for me,” she sang.

    After 30 years of teaching, Jackie was diagnosed with kidney failure. Doctors said she had only months to find a donor.

    “I was going through things, like okay, ‘my will is in order. Who gets what, jewelry-wise? It was the scariest time of my life,” she said.

    No one would or could give in time. The family was now looking at hospice care.

    Jackie’s 26-year-old daughter Courtney Rothermich decided she wanted to donate.

    “I can’t imagine a world without her. I wasn’t ready to imagine a world without her or a world where her quality of life was so different than what she had hoped for,” Courtney said.

    After months of testing, Courtney turned out to be a match. But her mother was hesitant. Courtney had her whole life ahead of her.

    “I needed to know that she can have babies. She can bungee jump. She can do whatever she wants,” Jackie said.

    Reassured, the kidney transplant surgery was scheduled at AdventHealth Orlando.

    “We were just excited. I mean, scared, scared to death, anxiety-ridden with, you know, it’s a scary process,” Courtney said.

    Courtney said she wanted to give something of herself to the person who gave everything to her.

    “I was a little bit out of it from the anesthesia, but my first thought was I want to see my mom,” Courtney said.

    “When you walked in, I could tell, ‘oh my gosh, this is going to be okay,’” Jackie said.

    There was no guarantee Jackie’s body would accept the kidney, but doctors said Jackie almost immediately began healing.

    “They don’t take your kidneys out. They just add the extra in which is amazing. I named it Sydney the kidney,” Jackie said.

    Jackie had to quarantine after surgery with a suppressed immune system but she still found a way to thank her donor.

    She had a surprise sign put up in her daughter’s yard: “My hero. My donor.”

    “I was afraid to live in a world without my mom. So if I could do something that could change that outcome for us, then why not now?” Courtney said.

    Now, Courtney and Jackie still have their whole lives ahead of them.

    “You are my Powerball. You get one chance in life to be lucky, and you were it. Thank you. I love you,” Jackie said.

    Jackie is actually headed out of the house for the first time Thursday night since her surgery in July. Mom, dad and daughter went to see “Hamilton.”

    They hope their story inspires others to donate.

    AdventHealth’s Transplant Institute is the only transplant program in Central Florida.

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