Mom’s will do the darndest things for their kids. And sometimes, that means doing whatever is necessary. A Florida mom recently quit her job to hike the Appalachian Trail with her daughter. Elly Jorg-Weyde has been drinking and experimenting with substance since she was 13. At 18, she started smoking meth and shooting heroin. And going nowhere. So her mom, Heidi Jorg, did what she had to. She quit her job and has taken her where there is no temptation and she can detox where a process like that might be easier: in nature.
“(We’ve) committed to walking the trail as far as we can get,” Jorg said on a GOFundme page that she, her daughter and her son Jake are using to fund the trip. I have outfitted us for the journey and we will stay the course as long as we can. Everyone began thinking this was a crazy, crazy idea. But the love and support from my family and friends has been amazing! I think it’s working. She’s clean, she’s 100 percent clean right now.”
The provisions.
The Appalachian trail spans around 2,200 miles from Maine to Georgia. Jorg has modest goals for her family: they’re trying to get as far as they can. Right now, they’re at mile 114. And while the hike seems to be working for Elly, the whole family is concerned about post-hike treatment for the teenager and they’re preparing to deal with it when they leave the safety and remoteness of the East Coast’s premier hiking trail. But for now, Mother Nature is working her magic.
“I feel so much better,” said Elly. “I have way more motivation than I thought I ever would. I’ve found an appreciation in the little things. It has made me extremely humble.”
You can follow their progress here.
