by Kevin Lilly
A man once hooked on meth plans to tell his story to thousands of area students next week as part of Red Ribbon Week, the national anti-illicit drug use campaign.
David Parnell, a Tennessee resident, will travel the 385 miles or so to Indiana to narrate how his 23 years of drug abuse came to an end the day he shot himself in the head with an assault rifle. Now a motivational speaker, Parnell will bring his message on the effects of drug abuse to at least nine area high schools, as well as several churches and jails.
Teri White, mother of a former meth addict and pastor of two United Methodists churches in Cass County, played a role in booking Parnell. She hopes his talks educate students and their parents about the dangers of meth lurking in communities throughout Indiana.
“It has the potential to open up their eyes.” White said. “Meth is a really big deal, and it’s everywhere.”
White met with Parnell and his wife at their home in Tennessee. She said a powerful part of Parnell’s presentations is his appearance. The bullet ripped Parnell’s face to shreds, according to his Web site at www.facingthedragon.org. Now he is disfigured, something he discusses with his audience.
White credited Deborah Moss, facilitator of the Methamphetamine Anonymous Support Group that meets weekly near Fulton, with getting Parnell here after she discovered videos of him online.
“It’s unbelievable that he would even survive let alone accomplish what he has,” White said.
Moss contacted Parnell, who charges for each speaking engagement. With no money and only prayers for a source of funding, Moss and White decided to book him for Red Ribbon Week anyway. Their chance looks to return a great profit.
“Talk about blessed because it’s just snowballed into this amazing event,” said White of the project she and Moss are calling “Saving Our Children from the Evils of Ignorance.”
Organizations provided funding and Parnell reduced his rate. Requests for the man who has remained drug free for nearly seven years continue to arrive.
Schools Parnell will be speaking at include Winamac, Lewis Cass, Caston, Pioneer, Bremen, Rochester, Culver Military Academy, Argos and Plymouth. White is trying to fit Logansport into the busy week.
Parnell will also visit the Miami Correctional Facility, Logansport Juvenile Correctional Facility, Elkhart County Jail and Fulton County Jail.
White said she is impressed by Parnell, who turned a horrible situation into a positive message he has given in 27 states, Canada and England.
“He has since devoted his life to educating others about the dangers of methamphetamine,” she said.
Parnell will be joined by Derek Wagoner, a Cass County resident who found himself in legal trouble after starting to use drugs the summer before his senior year at Pioneer High School. White, who counsels Wagoner, said the young man found his life spiraling out of control prior to his conviction for burglary last year.
Wagoner had dropped out of school as a multi-sport varsity athlete. While in a Carroll County jail cell, he drew the image that would become the logo for “Saving Our Children.” The devil skull surrounded by flames represents Wagoner’s perception of the face of drugs and how it made him feel — scared, sick and in danger.
Now, Wagoner has 20 months of sobriety and a GED. With his jail mug shot displayed on one side of him and his last varsity football picture on the other side, Wagoner will introduce Parnell to the Pioneer student body.
“What a great chance to reach kids,” White said.
Red Ribbon Week is the oldest and largest drug prevention campaign in the country and will be celebrated from Sunday through Oct. 25. The week commemorates the sacrifice made by U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, who died at the hands of drug traffickers in Mexico while fighting the battle against illegal drugs. The goal is a drug-free America.
“Perhaps the world will not be changed during Red Ribbon Week, but it is certain that their will be lives changed in Fulton, Cass, Marshall, Starke and Pulaski counties because two people refused to believe that they couldn’t do anything to help educate our community,” White said.
• Kevin Lilly is news editor of the Pharos-Tribune. He can be reached at (574) 732-5117 or kevin.lilly@pharostribune.com.
Want to go?
Here is a list of David Parnell’s speaking engagements open to the public:
Sunday — Red Ribbon Week kickoff at 7 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 800 E. Broadway, Logansport.
Tuesday — 7 p.m. at Galveston United Methodist Church, 515 S. Maple St.
Wednesday — 7 p.m. at Winamac High School auditorium
Thursday — 6 p.m. at Christos Banquet Center, 830 Lincolnway in Plymouth
Saturday — 5:30 p.m. at Calvary Union Fall Festival at Sangralea Valley
Oct. 25 — 10:30 a.m. at Bethlehem United Methodist Church on 625N near Twelve Mile and from 3 to 6 p.m. at St. Matthews Church, 2 W. Indiana Ave., Hamlet.
Oct. 26 — 7 p.m. at Bethel College in Mishawaka.
