A heartbroken mum has turned her agony into action after her daughter died from a cocaine overdose, vowing to raise awareness about the perils of drug addiction. Melissa Ledesma’s world was shattered when her 20 year old daughter Angel lost her three-year battle with substance abuse last June.
Melissa shared her own turbulent past: “I was a teenage mum, pregnant with my first daughter at age 17. Angel was my second born, followed by two sons. I once struggled myself with substance use, which began when I was 20 after my best friend was killed by a drunk driver.”
She continued, revealing her personal fight against drugs: “I battled a cocaine addiction for two years before becoming sober. Shortly after becoming sober, I met Angel’s dad, who manufactured meth, and I started using it with him. Although I never used while pregnant, I didn’t achieve sobriety until I was 25, a year before my fourth child.”
Their family life was far from peaceful, as Melissa recounted: “With or without drugs, our marriage was volatile and abusive, with numerous arrests for domestic violence against me and countless orders of protection. We divorced in 2011, remarried others, and eventually divorced again.”
Reflecting on her bond with Angel, Melissa said that they were incredibly close during her early years, but as Angel grew up, tensions arose between them, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Melissa, a heartbroken mum, shared her story: “Angel faced severe bullying and struggled with ADHD in her early school years. Until she was medicated in late second grade, she had difficulty retaining anything taught. We worked on her schoolwork every night until we were both exhausted and in tears. Despite the challenges, she always felt comfortable coming to me with her problems,”.
“When Angel started medication, and we moved to escape the bullying, she began to flourish. However, after I remarried, her behavioural issues re-emerged. By age 11, she faced severe mental health challenges, leading to multiple hospitalisations.”
“As she grew older, she got involved in criminal activities, further straining our relationship.”
Melissa first discovered her daughter was using drugs when Angel was 17. Initially, she had no idea about the severity of her child’s addiction.
“I wasn’t naive about teens experimenting, so I suspected Angel was dabbling in something, but not to the extent it turned out to be. It was only when Angel was 18, and my oldest daughter warned me, saying I shouldn’t give Angel money as I was funding her heroin habit, that I truly grasped the severity of what was going on,” added Melissa
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“Angel’s addiction was short, fast, and fierce. She always looked and acted the same until she suddenly didn’t, and when she changed, it was drastic.”
Melissa tried everything to help her daughter.
Initially, Melissa thought tough love was the answer, believing that constant lectures and withholding money would stop Angel from buying drugs. However, this method only resulted in Angel running away from home.
While living rough, Angel would sporadically text Melissa from unknown numbers, reassuring her with messages like, “Mum, I’m okay, don’t worry.”
Then, all communication ceased, even on special occasions like Mother’s Day and Melissa’s birthday. After months of silence, Melissa finally found Angel, who came back home and entered rehab, managing to stay sober for eight months before her untimely death.
“I was heading out after work on Friday, June 2, 2023. Before I left, I asked Angel if she’d be okay alone, and she assured me she’d be fine since her brother Aiden would be home soon. Angel left shortly before Aiden returned, taking only her phone and leaving her charger behind. When she didn’t respond to my texts, I made a Facebook post, and she finally commented.”
“But by Saturday, her phone died, and she was still gone. I hadn’t heard from her by Monday morning,” Melissa shared. The family was oblivious to the fact that a call for help had been made from a hotel, reporting that a young woman had been found unresponsive in a bathroom.
On Monday afternoon, police arrived at their house, explaining they had received a call from the hospital. “When I arrived at the hospital, Angel was on life support with no change since being brought in. Tests confirmed she was completely brain-dead.”
“Everything happened so fast. We all said our goodbyes as a family, then separately. When my sister arrived, she and I went into the ward alone as they removed life support. I lay with Angel until she took her last breath.”
“She struggled and shook for a little while. I just kept talking to her, and when I told her it was okay to go and promised I would be okay, she passed away,” Melissa recounted.
After the devastating loss of her daughter Angel, Melissa has turned her sorrow into action by advocating for those struggling with drug addiction. She’s made a career shift from waitress to Recovery Support Specialist and uses her TikTok to spread awareness about the issue.
Melissa honours her daughter’s memory through Angels Sober Shack, an online store selling apparel that raises awareness for substance use disorder, harm reduction, and mental health.
The ultimate aim of Angels Sober Shack is to set up a non-profit sober living house for young women. “The goal of Angels Sober Shack is to eventually create a non-profit sober living house for women aged 18-27, accommodating two to four residents in a long-term programme of 12-18 months,” Melissa detailed.
Angels Sober Shack will not only fund this noble cause but also offer employment opportunities to its residents, supporting them as they transition back into society. Melissa envisions a nurturing space where women can work towards sustained sobriety and self-reliance.
