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Date: 7/5/2023
HOLYOKE — Cindy Chaplin was working the night shift at MiraVista Behavioral Health Center when a car sped into the parking lot. The driver jumped out and began pleading for help. His friend in the passenger seat was overdosing on opioids and had only minutes to live.
“We laid him on the ground and I looked into his eyes because one of the signs of an opioid overdose is pinpoint pupils. His were really, really small,” said Chaplin, the evening house supervisor and registered nurse with more than 40 years of health care experience.
The man was unconscious, but Chaplin saw he was still breathing and had a good pulse. She gave him eight doses of the nasal spray Narcan, which can temporarily reverse the effects opioids. Chaplin bought the man enough time for an ambulance to arrive and take him to the hospital, where he still needed emergency care.
“We didn’t see him ever again but when we dragged him out of the car, he was purple. A few more minutes and he would probably have gone into cardiac arrest. He already had respiratory arrest,” said Chaplin.
Overdosing on opioids claimed more than 110,000 lives in the United States last year, according to MiraVista. That’s why the behavioral health center is part of a recently launched statewide program making Narcan available for free and without a prescription. The goal is to get the nasal spray into as many hands as possible, and the advice from state officials — don’t leave it on a shelf at home; take it with you.
“Maybe you’re out in the community and see someone in distress. Narcan is a great tool to have because we never know when somebody might experience an overdose, and how great would it be to help someone survive and live another day,” said Cristina Rivera, director of outpatient services at MiraVista.
The face of opioid abuse isn’t always back-alley junkies. It could be anyone using or hooked on heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone, hydrocodone, Vicodin, codeine, morphine or other opioids.
“Substance abuse can affect anyone. It can happen to a loved one or someone else close to you and you don’t realize they’re suffering,” said Rivera. “You may have no idea they’re struggling with opioid addiction.”
It can be easy to overdose on opioids. Some may overdo it the first time they try a drug. Others use it for pain relief and can’t stop taking it when the pain goes away.
“Some people use opiates after surgery and the doctor eventually says, ‘You’ve had enough.’ They may go through withdrawal and will do anything to stop feeling bad, including buying something that’s not legal or taking another person’s prescription,” said Rivera.
Chaplin doesn’t know what drug the man took before showing up near death at her door. She’s just happy she and the team could help him with Narcan.
“The driver started crying. He was very happy when his friend woke up,” said Chaplin. “Saving his life was something I knew we could do. But when you do it, you feel very satisfied. At the end when he left for the hospital, we all high-fived each other.”
MiraVista is offering the nasal spray to anyone who comes into its office and asks for it at 1233 Main St., Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information call 413-701-2600 or email klee@miravistabhc.care.