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Leighanne's Interview
by
Courtney McLeod
Leighanne is a lively 38-year-old woman who is trapped in
addiction on the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, Canada. She
has adopted us War College students into our lives and calls
us her kids – and she will let the world know that! She is
suffering from full blown AIDS, two kinds of Cancer,
Huntington’s disease, Depression, Addiction and currently has
an infection that is spreading into her bones but she is such
a beautiful woman who loves the Lord with all she’s got. The
doctors gave her until June 2009 to live, five months later
she is still holding strong and credits it to the love of
Christ she’s received and to the hope she sees through our
love for her. I did an interview with her, and her life on the
downtown eastside. She was really excited to know that her
story would be published. Here it is!
Courtney: How Long have you lived on the Downtown Eastside?
Leighanne: For 30 years, since I was 8.
Courtney: What brought you to the Downtown Eastside?
Leighanne: My mom. She came because of her own addiction. My
mom and I never got along.
Courtney: When did you leave your mom?
Leighanne: When I was 12. I left home and was on the street.
Courtney: Why did you stay on the Downtown Eastside after you
left?
Leighanne: I was already addicted to drugs. They never get
away from me, never in my whole life.
Courtney: When did you first start doing drugs?
Leighanne: When I was 8, with my mom. She made me do them. She
tied a tourniquet around me arm, fixed me with dope, beat me,
everything. She just didn’t know right from wrong.
Courtney: What drugs have kept you here?
Leighanne: Heroin, Cocaine, Crack, everything.
Courtney: What’s your favorite part of the Downtown Eastside?
Leighanne: You! My kids, and God. You, my kids, teach me how
to love God. And, I have nobody else. I love my kids!
Courtney: What’s your least favorite part of the Downtown
Eastside?
Leighanne: The drugs. I hate the drugs. I see them all the
time and I can’t get away from them.
Courtney: Have you ever tried to go to detox?
Leighanne: Yeah, I don’t know why it doesn’t work.
Courtney: Do you ever get mistreated when you’re not in the
“Downtown Eastside”?
Leighanne: Yes, always.
Courtney: Why do you think that is?
Leighanne: Because of the way I look. I don’t think I look
bad. I don’t care about how I look; I get up, and get dressed.
I don’t need to impress anyone.
Courtney: How do you feel in situations when you’re
mistreated?
Leighanne: Like hitting people. But I try to be nice. But it’s
hard, very hard.
Courtney: Do you think your drugs make you react worse than
you should?
Leighanne: Only when I’m detoxing.
Courtney: Do you want to get clean?
Leighanne: Of course I want to get clean! I try to get clean
all the time!
Courtney: Is there anything you want to say to anyone who
reads this?
Leighanne: Behave! Or I’ll kick you in the pants!
To those who have read this, please pray for Leighanne. Pray
for healing from sickness and disease and deliverance from her
abusive past and her drug addiction. Leighanne is one of our
greatest teachers in the Kingdom of God and we have grown to
love her, and the Christ in her as one of our own.
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