An idyllic upbringing, unconditional love, and the serenity of the Heartland USA were not enough to shield this close-knit family from heroin. In her moving, ultimately hopeful narrative of struggle and redemption, Dana Chase writes unsparingly of how she survived the shock of learning that her beautiful identical twin sons had become heroin addicts and the terror that unfolded as a result. Chase and her husband returned to North Dakota in 1993 when their twins were ten months old to give them the same benefits she had as a child. But steadfast family values, and the manageable pace of North Dakota did not work their charm this time around. By the time the boys were twenty they were drug dealers, heroin addicts, and felons. This family's catastrophic status quo included overdoses, attempted suicide, court-mandated stays at rehab centers, and countless cycles of incarceration, including a federal indictment, none of which had been anywhere near Chase's maternal radar. Chase had lived her entire adult life believing 'what you think about, you bring about.' In spite of her innate optimism she wondered... if I wasn't thinking about it, how'd I bring it about? This is a cautionary tale that delivers a blunt impact of reality to any parent who believes 'this can't happen to our family'. It portrays a courageous mother and her attempts to save her sons from wasted lives and tragic drug related deaths. In Spite Of Heroin reveals a parent's nightmare and the struggle of a lifetime. Eminently readable, In Spite Of Heroin is a shocking true story that readers will sacrifice sleep to finish. Dana Chase is certified in both Life Coaching and Feng Shui. Her uncommon and progressive skill set elevated her aptitude for surrender. In Spite Of Heroin offers readers perspective from a professional who's had success mentoring hundreds of clients seeking greater fulfillment. It portrays a mother's struggle to manage her unrelenting despair, denial and guilt, while she simultaneously aspired to influence destiny and attract providence. Her faith was strengthened as she experienced ongoing benevolent guidance from her deceased parents. Inner peace was cultivated through synchronicity, coincidences and intuition interventions. The story occurs in North Dakota where there are four distinct seasons. Chase drew upon metaphors in nature to interpret wisdom and grace. Feng Shui had a profound effect and influence. Her passion for tennis became a distraction from emotional pain and provided her with a paradigm shift of power and control. In Spite of Heroin By Dana Chase AuthorHouse Copyright © 2016 Dana Chase All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-5246-2803-1 CHAPTER 1 The large cement elephant in the center of the playground's swings, slides, and teeter-totters prompted the name — Elephant Park. The elephant served no recreational purpose other than as a place for kids to climb and perch for a spell. The playground sat amid towering elm, oak, and maple trees, which were spaced around the park much like a large group of people who'd held hands and spread out as much as the circle would allow, then released hands and stepped back a few more feet. The park's official name was Percy Goodwin Park. I'd learned to play tennis as a young girl in Elephant Park, in River Bend, North Dakota, and for me it would become a sport that would soothe my soul and sustain my body at times in my life when despair nearly drowned me. My best friend as a child, Jane, introduced me to tennis in third grade. With pigtails, tennis dresses, and my wooden Chris Evert racquet, I learned how to hit the ball. Jane was the only girl in her family, with three older and three younger brothers. I was my all-girl family's baby, with three older sisters. In our Catholic universe in River Bend, our family had been considered small. Elephant Park was located between the two homes I lived in as a child and the two homes where my husband, Brad, and I would raise our identical twin sons, Ryder and Avery. All four houses were within three blocks of Elephant Park. As Ryder and Avery grew older, I'd occasionally walk our dog, Murphy, a wheaten terrier, past all four of those homes, taking less than an hour for the trip. Often times it was impossible to contain my tears as I recalled how blessed I was for so many years of my life. The tears of late were saturated with anguish. I'd traveled the world as a flight attendant for twenty-three years and lived in several cities other than River Bend for fifteen years, but it was there, within that one-mile radius, that I lived my life as a child and as a mother. The northside of River Bend was predominantly residential, with single-family homes where pride in ownership was evident. Timber Crest was a cozy subdivision, featuring a wide range of houses from ramblers to million-dollar estates. Brad and I purchased a home in Timber Crest in January 2007. Our twins were fourteen years old when we'd moved the one mile north. It wa