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Girl Writes Letter Thanking Judge for Getting Mommy Off Drugs

"Because of him I have my mommy back"

A third-grade girl in West Virginia has written a letter to the judge who helped her mom get off of drugs.

Laci, 9, was given an assignment to write a story about her hero, so she wrote about Boone County Judge William Thompson.

Laci's paper reads like this:

"I choose to write my story about our judge in Boone County William Thompson. I choose to write my story on him because to me he is a true hero. He wears his robe like a cape. He saved my mom from a life of drug abuse.

Her mom, Katie Midkiff, had struggled with addiction for three years. It caused stress, hurt and anger for Laci and her two sisters.

"My hero is over a program that saves lives called drug court," Laci wrote. "I thought my mommy was going to die or we would lose her forever but thanks to my hero my mom has been clean nine months because of him I have my mommy back. He cares about people like mommy."

Nine months into Katie Midkiff's sobriety, Laci has her mom back and she's beyond grateful to Judge Thompson for her mom's gift of a second chance as she continues through drug court.

'About two months from now, last year at this time, I would have been in the hospital. I overdosed and almost died," Midkiff explained.

The program keeps her out of jail, while holding her accountable daily as she focuses on her sobriety.

Judge Thompson said Midkiff told him about the paper that Laci wrote for class and asked her mom to bring it to drug court.

"Where would Katie be but for drug court? Last year she was on the run, she was trying to hide," he said.

"It gives me reason to keep doing what we are doing. To actually realize that I played a small part in giving the girls their mother back made me feel special.

The situation is fragile. Midkiff is on track to graduate from drug court in May. What happens between now and then is on her shoulders.

"When you are an addict, you always have that question in your mind: are you going to relapse or is it going to happen again?" she said.

"But when you think of your kids and how it affected them, and nine months later, to let you know that they are so proud of you -- there is no going back, that is not an option."

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