Glenbard Parent Series speaker, author of ‘Beautiful Boy,’ will illuminate the world of addiction and offer hope to families

On Wednesday, Jan. 31, the Glenbard Parent Series: Navigating Healthy Families will present “Beautiful Boy: Everything A Father Learned From His Son’s Addiction” with best-selling author David Sheff. It will be offered at noon and 7 p.m. via Zoom. Go to glenbardgps.org for further information and the links to these two webinars.

What had happened to my beautiful boy? What did I do wrong? These questions haunted Sheff during his journey through his son’s addiction to drugs and the tentative steps they both made toward recovery. Sheff will discuss warning signs of addiction and detail his own period of denial.

Continuing professional development units are available for these webinars.

Before Nic’s addiction to crystal meth, he was joyous and funny. He was a charming boy, varsity athlete and honor student. After meth, he was gaunt and ghostly. He lied, stole and lived on the streets.

Sheff endured 3 a.m. phone calls from police and hospitals. He vowed to research every treatment that might save his son. Sheff refused to give up until finally there was hope.

Sheff is the author of “Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction,” and “Clean: Overcoming Addiction and Ending America’s Greatest Tragedy.” He was also coauthor with his son on the book “HIGH: Everything You Want to Know About Drugs.”

Sheff will be in conversation with Jessica Lahey, the author of “The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed” and “The Addiction Inoculation: Raising Healthy Kids in a Culture of Dependence.”

To be placed on a reminder list for GPS events or submit a question in advance, contact Gilda Ross, student and community projects coordinator, at gilda_ross@glenbard.org or (630) 942-7668.

Glenbard Parent Series is generously sponsored by the Cebrin Goodman Center, Community Consolidated School District 93 Birth to 5 Coalition, Cooperative Association for Special Education (CASE), College of DuPage, Duly Health and Care, DuPage Regional Office of Education, Emmy Gaffey Foundation, Glenbard Early Childhood Collaborative, Kids Matter, Kiwanis Clubs, Prevention Leadership Team of the DuPage County Health Department, and Webb-Hutter Family Fund of DuPage Foundation.