March 7 is a date Michelle Jansen is looking forward to for the first time since her son鈥檚 death on that day in 2016.
That celebration centres around the opening of the first of four Brandon Jansen Memorial Recovery Centres, this one in the Lower Mainland.
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A second location in Penticton is expected to begin helping clients starting the first week of March followed by ones in Osoyoos and Vernon.
鈥淭his is something that Brandon would have to have loved to have seen and loved to have been a part of,鈥� said Jansen, who had scheduled a press conference today (Wednesday) at her Coquitlam office. 鈥淎fter Brandon passed, of the 12 (recovery) centres he attended, there were so many people who contacted me saying, 鈥楤randon would sit for hours and talk to me,鈥� and 鈥榟e would do whatever he could to help me.鈥�
鈥淏randon couldn鈥檛 understand why he couldn鈥檛 get over this fentanyl addition. He just couldn鈥檛 understand why he couldn鈥檛 turn this off.鈥�
Michelle recalled her son telling her just hours before his death at a Powell River rehab centre, 鈥淚t keeps calling my name.鈥�
What Michelle learned at the cost of her son鈥檚 life and $200,000, was recovery centres in their current form were not working, specifically with the emergence of the fentanyl crisis.
鈥淚 have parents and loved ones reaching out to me every week sometimes a couple times a week saying they鈥檝e lost yet another one,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e just need to save lives, people continue to die. When I woke up this morning there were two more families who had lost their loved ones overnight.鈥�
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Her first attempt at opening a 12-bed facility on Juniper Drive in Penticton, which she announced in November, collapsed around her.
She and her realtor in the pending transaction to purchase the $1.4 million property say it was bought out from under them, reportedly by the four neighbours of the property.
鈥淚鈥檓 so surprised that the seller took the risk of jeopardizing our sales contract but what I need the public to know, that there are those who still run with the stigma and the ignorance.鈥�
But she added the ensuing publicity regarding the matter turned out to be a 鈥渂lessing in disguise鈥� after a number of people, including a Penticton man reached out to help her.
鈥淭his really restores my faith in humanity and I鈥檓 a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and that initial Penticton property wasn鈥檛 meant to be,鈥� said Jansen. 鈥淚t shows that there are a lot of people - more and more as this crisis continues - who are understanding, who have changed their mindset, who truly want to help and that鈥檚 awesome.鈥�
She has since met with Premier John Horgan and last week talked to Judy Darcy, Mental Health and Addictions minister.
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According to Jansen, the minister was particularly interested in using the Brandon Jansen Memorial Recovery Centre as a template for future governance of such facilities, something Jansen believes is sadly lacking at present.
鈥淗ad there been the proper regulations in place like the ones I will have in Penticton, 1,000 per cent Brandon would still be alive,鈥� she said previously.
Her new facilities will be six-bed treatment centres.
鈥淲e offer a very customized form of treatment, we don鈥檛 have a one size fits all,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 have facility that have 40 clients and have them in there for 30, 60 or 90 days and confidently say, they鈥檙e going to be in a good state of recovery when the leave, what鈥檚 that? It鈥檚 a rooming house.鈥�
She added the treatment options she will provide are based on the latest clinical research, in particular the fact fentanyl addiction is an 鈥減hysiological brain disease鈥� requiring modifying care practices.
鈥淔or me, what opening these centres is, is an opportunity to save more lives,鈥� said Jansen. 鈥淎nd you know what? That was the path we were meant to be on, for Brandon鈥檚 sake.鈥�
Penticton man steps in to help with recovery centre
Compassion for a mother who lost her son to a drug overdose was not the only reason a Penticton man offered his home for her to use as a treatment centre.
John, who asked his real name not be used to protect the privacy of the house location, said it was more the opposition Michelle Jansen faced when she tried to buy a Juniper Drive house for that purpose late last year.
鈥淭hat response (from neighbours) probably shocked Michelle and it shocked me too, and I think that鈥檚 what motivated me to make to the call to her,鈥� said John, whose family moved from the west side property a month ago to facilitate the centre. 鈥淭his 鈥榥ot in my backyard鈥� is not a good enough reason. That really doesn鈥檛 carry a lot of weight compared to what these people are trying to do.
鈥淲hen I heard what happened, I just thought that鈥檚 unacceptable. Yes there鈥檚 stigma and that they really just needed somebody to open a door.鈥�
He has not told all of his neighbours about the decision and doesn鈥檛 think they will notice much of a difference.
鈥淟et鈥檚 put it on the scoreboard first and then argue the merits. You can鈥檛 argue the merits because of the address, that鈥檚 not good enough,鈥� he said.
As it turned out John鈥檚 offer was not the only one Jansen received and as a result similar centres are planned for the near future in Osoyoos and Vernon.
鈥淲hat it (Juniper Drive property) allowed for was a teachable moment for the public in regards to stigma,鈥� said Jansen. 鈥淪econdly there were a lot of property owners who reached out to me saying that was terrible what they (opponents) did. This has really been a blessing.鈥�
Leasing the property from John has also left her with the necessary capital to invest in more centres.
鈥淚 decided on Vernon and Osoyoos because, like Penticton, they are outside the big city so there鈥檚 more serenity, more tranquility,鈥� she said.
For his part, John, who has two children of his own, can empathize with Jansen鈥檚 heart-breaking loss.
鈥淚t鈥檚 that 鈥榯here but the grace of God go I,鈥� and I鈥檓 blessed that I haven鈥檛 had the experience that Michelle has had to live through鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淚 know how important this is to her. This is an opportunity to save someone鈥檚 life, even if it鈥檚 just one, that鈥檚 enough and we know it鈥檚 going to have a much bigger impact than that.鈥�
