Joey Steele remembers his first glimpse at a path forward.
Joey, now a Cabarrus County EMS senior paramedic, was working as a manager in a halfway house in 2015. He was there following a stay in rehab for a debilitating opioid addiction. One night, a good friend at the house relapsed and overdosed. Steele performed CPR, then watched as emergency crews tried valiantly to revive the man.
His friend passed away that night, but the efforts of the responding paramedics made a lasting impact on him.
Watch Joey's story on overcoming addiction, becoming a first responder and helping those who struggle with substance use in the video above and read more here.