The Rose Bird
A Mother's Perspective on Loving and Losing Her Daughter to Fentanyl
by Helen Davies

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The Rose Bird is a personal account of what goes on behind closed doors in a family coping with severe mental illness. Told as only a mother can, this is the true story of loving and losing a daughter affected by mental illness and addiction. Although author Helen Davies begins the story with the fentanyl-related death of her twenty-three-year-old daughter Katie on the streets of Kitchener, Ontario, The Rose Bird is really a tale about resilience and a family cherishing and supporting a daughter and sister in an impossible situation. By sharing the story of raising Katie through both good times and bad, Helen highlights how mental illness and addictions can affect any family, and the dearth of resources available before a situation hits a crisis point. As Helen watches her spirited, creative, animal-loving daughter slowly get drawn into life on the streets, she shares the frustration and isolation of fighting to save Katie, and the devastation this brings to her and her family. This is a book for anyone who is going through or has gone through a similar journey, or those supporting someone travelling this road. It shares the highs and lows of loving someone no matter what, and the growing need for policy change and better community resourcing. It is also an important reminder that every person affected by mental illness or addictions has their own story and is someone’s child, sibling, or family member.

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“Helen Davies' chronicle about parenting in the age of fentanyl guides us through an intimate journey that offers, unassumingly, as many poignant answers as it does questions. A "must read" to make sense of the slow-motion catastrophe euphemistically labeled "opioid overdose crisis", it is a tour de force of biographical craftsmanship. And, above all, of motherhood.” —Prof. Daniel Vigo, MD, Lic. Psych, DrPH, BC's Chief Scientific Advisor for Psychiatry, Toxic Drugs, and Concurrent Disorders “The Rose Bird compels the reader to both witness and come alongside the unfathomable grief of losing a daughter to the unrelenting toxic drug crisis in Canada. Davies’ account is complex and raw, reminding us that toxic drug related deaths are not just statistics; rather they are catastrophic losses of deeply loved human beings like Katie. Davies brings the reality of “loving no matter what” into sharp focus, with Katie’s story, alongside many others, calling upon all of us in policy making and services to find ways to do better and prevent more loss of life.” —Jonny Morris, Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Mental Health Association BC Division

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Helen Davies was born and educated in the UK. She moved to the Kitchener-Waterloo area in Ontario, Canada, in 2001 with her husband, Mike, and daughters, Katie and Juliette. The adventurous sort, she and her family later embraced the cultural experience of living in Hong Kong for several years before moving back to Canada for her daughters to attend high school. Today, Helen lives in the beautiful British Columbia interior with her husband and two cats, and works as a Chief People and Culture Officer in the tourism industry. Determined to see some good come from her daughter’s battle with mental illness and addiction, Helen has become a champion in raising awareness about the needs of those facing similar challenges. She is a family engagement partner with the Assertive Community Treatment Advanced Practice team in British Columbia and a member of Moms Stop The Harm (MSTH). The Rose Bird is her first book and was written to be a support for others in similar situations, and as a call to action for policy makers to address the growing need for change and better fund community supports.

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Contributors

Author

Helen Davies

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