Mount Pleasant Magazine Jan/Feb 2018

85 www.MPtownCouncil.com | www.MPMcalendar.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com feature Charleston office, wanted me to share my story,” she said. “I spoke to a group of Lowcountry chaplains, law enforcement, local and federal officials, and, from that, my kids and I felt that telling Creighton’s story was the right thing to do.” Creighton’s story mirrors millions of others across the country. It started the way many addictions do – with prescribed medication. During his freshman year at Wando, Creighton, a star athlete, was badly injured while playing in a lacrosse tournament. Initially misdiagnosed by an orthopedist and in constant pain, it was discovered he had a Brodie abscess, a rare condition in which an infection eats away at the bone. Rushed into emergency surgery, he spent time in the hospital and was prescribed opioid painkillers. “The light was turned on when he took that first pill,” Shipman said. “He had been in terrible pain and the medicine made him feel good. He later told me it was his first ‘high.’” Conversation Creighton Shipman. Friends and family gathered at the Isle of Palms Exchange Club in July 2017 to remember Creighton and hear about plans for the Creighton Shipman 22 Forever Foundation.Through the foundation, Nanci Shipman hopes to open Creighton’s House, a place for teens and young adults to get support while in recovery.