Slide after slide of abused children and babies suffering from the decisions of parents who abuse meth were splattered across a big screen as Perham High School students watched in silence.
The presenter, David Parnell, shared his story about "facing the dragon" that is methamphetamine. For him, it began when he was just 13 years old and he made the decision to start using drugs with his father.
Twenty-three years later, at his lowest point in life, Parnell attempted to take his own life by shooting his face off with an SKS assault rifle. The scars from the incident are still present today, after over 15 surgeries.
During his presentation for students on October 4, Parnell openly shared about the decisions he made that got him to that desperate point in his life. His message to the students about the dangers of drugs, specifically meth, was supported by his stories about a life lived under the power of that addictive dragon.
"Methamphetamine is one of the most addictive and destructive drugs," Parnell said, going on to share how part of the problem is the ease of manufacturing it. The internet has helped spread the problem; many of the sites explaining how to make meth leave out some critical steps, leading to deadly explosions in meth labs.
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Parnell showed pictures of meth labs that were set up in the bedrooms of kids, with parents giving little or no attention to the health and welfare of their own children. According to Parnell, the true victims of an addiction are the children.
He made the decision to include their pictures in his presentation because they are the silent victims. Many of the children Parnell showed have died as a direct result of violence and neglect on behalf of their addicted parents.
Junior Abram Silbernagel supported Parnell's decision to include the unsettling photographs. "I think it was good to have the pictures he did. That way we could see the effect meth has on people."
With seven children of his own and only four years of sobriety, Parnell candidly spoke to students about his failures as a father and a husband. Even though he had deluded himself into believing he was still being a good father, meth had completely taken priority in his life.
"95 percent of the people who try this drug end up getting hooked. I believe I got hooked right away," said Parnell. "Nobody controls meth, I don't care who they are."
Students gasped as before and after pictures of heavy meth users were shown. According to Parnell, the average life expectancy of a heavy meth addict is only five to seven years. Many of his friends did not even make it that long under the dangerous influence of the drug.
"The worst mistake I ever made in my life was believing that the best thing I could do for my wife and kids was to kill myself," Parnell revealed. He credits God for saving his life when, for all medical reasons, he should have died.
Taking his story to the schools has been a mission for Parnell in the years after his near-death experience and breakaway from methamphetamine. Last year alone, he held over 250 programs across the U.S. and abroad.
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After the closed presentation for 9-12 grade PHS students during the day, Parnell spoke again in the Perham High School Auditorium at 7:00 p.m. for the general public. 549 Family Foundation and Perham-Dent Public Schools hosted the event.
Allie Lehman and Misty Ziegler, juniors at PHS, agreed how the program was a welcome change from what they usually see. It was a lot more interesting, they concluded. It is Parnell's hope that his story can help others avoid the deadly path he traveled down and the dragon he faced at the end.
