Former Annapolis streetwalker amazes those who helped her

A little more than two years ago, she was strung out on drugs and roamed West Street seeking to feed devastating addictions.

This week she was back on the street, a healthy and apparently happy 27-year-old woman with a future.

The woman who became known locally as "Maggie" following a front-page article in The Capital on April 30, 2006, was given a warm welcome by area businesses, which included free dental treatments and a new hairstyle.

With her new chestnut-colored "do," it takes awhile to find traces of her past. Her skin is clear and her eyes are bright.

Her real name is Sarah, and once her story became public, Annapolitans stepped forward to help the wayward woman. That journey led to treatment in California and being featured on "The Dr. Phil Show."

She now lives in Texas, where she manages a halfway house. She was in town this week to have her teeth fixed.

Sarah has been sober for 15 months and she said she spends her free time working at her part-time job or pursuing her creative interests, like abstract painting and photography. Her twin sister, who had the same struggles as Sarah, is approaching one year of sobriety.

"Everyone can change," said the 27-year-old Sarah, who doesn't want her last name used. "I'm proof you can. I'm not unusual. Anybody can get sober and stay sober and change their life."

These days, Sarah spends her free time shopping and eating, with preference given to tofu and Boca Burgers. Some of her activities have been limited because she doesn't have too many sober friends in the area. She spends most of her time with Joani Gammill, the Annapolis woman who helped her get treatment through "The Dr. Phil Show."

"I'm so happy to have her here," Ms. Gammill said. "For me, I'm just in love with her. That's like my kid."

A painful journey

Sarah and her twin sister were born in South Carolina. They began experimenting with drugs in high school, with heroin becoming Sarah's drug of choice. They followed their mother to Annapolis in 2004, where their addictions spun out of control.

They wound up homeless and turned to crime to fund their drug habit. Both had spent time in and out of local treatment centers.

Sarah's $200-a-day drug habit was chronicled by reporter Peter Holley after he noticed her several times on West Street as he drove to work at The Capital.

He nicknamed her Maggie, after the character Stephen Crane novel, to protect her identity.

The story received a lot of local attention, particularly from Ms. Gammill, who lives in the city. As an interventionist, Ms. Gammill finds people who are struggling with drugs and works with "The Dr. Phil Show" to get them treatment.

The show aired a three-part series on the twins in November 2006. At that time, the women lived in the Dr. Phil House, where he tried to get to the bottom of what was causing them to use drugs. They were placed in a treatment program in Los Angeles, but they both left the program. Sarah returned to the Clay Street area once again and returned to her old habits.

Getting sober

Eventually, Ms. Gammill was able to get her into La Hacienda Treatment Center in Texas, after a series of rehabs and relapses. It is through that program that she now manages a house of seven women. Now, it's Sarah's job to make sure the others pay their rent, complete their chores and talk about their struggles with addiction.

Sarah's return to Annapolis also included a visit to the police station. She wanted to see Cpl. Jennifer Crews-Carey, who often had arrested her and encouraged her to get off the streets.

"She looked wonderful," Cpl. Crews-Carey said. "My fear for all the girls when they get away and get clean is that they'll come back and get in their comfort zone. I asked her if she had any desire to back to West Street ... to get a fix, just because she knew it was there. She said she had no desire to go anywhere back there. That's really part of her past and it doesn't influence her. I was glad to hear that."

Ms. Gammill had discussed Sarah with Dr. Clifford Walzer, a dentist on West Street. He agreed to do some pro bono work to get Sarah's teeth repaired. They had a consultation this week and learned that she's going to have to wear braces for at least a year, before her teeth can be reconstructed. Dr. Walzer has been in touch with her dentist in Texas to coordinate services. It is hard to say she lost her teeth as a direct result of her drug use.

"A lot of people who have addiction problems neglect their teeth because they're funneling money to get drugs and not putting a great value on hygiene and oral health care drops down on their list of priorities," Dr. Walzer said. "A lot of this is making people feel whole again, making them feel good about themselves and giving them the ability to smile comfortably and chew confidently. That's really what our aim is."

Andrea Watson Chandler, a stylist at Hudson and Fouquet Salon, tossed in a free hairstyle. Sarah had been dyeing her hair with red highlights and was looking to get her hair browner, which is her natural hair color. But there was a lot of red and the appointment took four hours. In the end, she left with a newly trimmed and coiffed brown hair, with slight twinges of the stubborn red.

"I used to see her (when she was on drugs) and think, 'if I do her hair, maybe she'll feel better,' " Ms. Chandler said. "I can't believe I'm doing her hair now. I've wanted to do it for so long."

Sarah described her new hair as "awesome," but said she may just dye it again, sometime in the future. The full effect of her transformation didn't sink in until she stepped outside and posed for a photographer.

"Oh my God, look how cute I look," she said after reviewing the digital images. She placed her hand on her hip and struck a pose. "I feel fine. I feel so awesome."