BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — When Jennifer Gauthier found out she was pregnant, addiction had a hold on her.
"I was using crack cocaine," Gauthier said. "That was very scary in the beginning."
It was through the Nurse-Family Partnership at Sisters of Charity Hospital that she got the help she needed.
The Nurse-Family Partnership is a community health program available in 40 states, but the only one in Western New York is at Sisters of Charity Hospital. Daynell Rowell-Stephens, the program's supervisor, said its mission is simple: to give first-time mothers the tools they need for a healthy pregnancy and a strong start to parenthood.
"The program is designed to help first-time moms who are lower socio-economic, early in their pregnancy when they enroll," Rowell-Stephens said.
This program is now in the national spotlight. CNN's upcoming docuseries "Fentanyl in America: A Way Out" will explore the effects of fentanyl across the country and feature healthcare workers from Sisters of Charity Hospital.
"Some of the moms come with challenges in their lives," Rowell-Stephens said. "As their nurses, we're not just nurses, but we're kind of like their friend or their cheerleader."
Gauthier said her journey wasn't easy. She stresses the importance of supervised treatment, especially for pregnant women trying to get sober.
"People do change their lives around. For me, that was my son," Gauthier said. "Knowing that I had this baby growing in me, that was enough for me."
As CNN's "Fentanyl in America: A Way Out" sheds light on the crisis of substance-exposed pregnancies, programs like this one serve as a reminder that recovery is possible.
"Fentanyl in America: A Way Out" airs Sunday, March 30, on "The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper."
