Transcript
Jake Handel (0:00)
Get the Angel REEF special at McDonald's. Now, let's break it down.
Corinne Vien (0:03)
My favorite barbecue sauce, American cheese, crispy bacon, pickles, onions and a sesame seed bun, of course. And don't forget the fries and the drinks. Sound good.
Jake Handel (0:13)
I participate in restaurants for a limited time.
Corinne Vien (0:15)
Blink is intended for mature audiences as it discusses topics that can be upsetting, such as drug use, sexual assault, and emotional and physical violence. Content warnings for each episode are included in the Show Notes. Resources for drug addiction and domestic abuse can be found in the Show Notes and on our website, blinkthepodcast.com the testimonies and opinions expressed by guests of the show are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of myself or affiliates of this podcast. Any individuals mentioned in the episode are presumed innocent until proven guilty in the court of law unless explicitly stated otherwise. What drew me to Jake's story wasn't just the twists and turns. It was the way it challenges how we see people who are too often written off. Jake has this rare magnetism, even as he lays bare his darkest moments. Betrayal, violence, the ghosts of his past. There's no bitterness. It's just raw honesty. Somehow he finds understanding for himself, for those who hurt him, for the pain that shaped them all. On paper, Jake is a lot of things. Addict, dealer, victim, survivor. But he's never been just a label. And when he tells his story, you see him for who he truly is. For anyone who has ever doubted their worth, let Jake's story be proof you are more than what the world calls you. And for those who have met Jake, who have heard his story, one thing is they'll never forget Jake was the one who introduced Ellen to heroin. It's an uncomfortable truth, one that he carries with deep regret. Heroin is horribly addicting, and even those who manage to break free live with this constant pull. There's always that lingering temptation. And in the moments of immense stress, when the world feels unbearable and you feel like you're barely surviving, the need for escape can become overpowering. Back when Jake was first diagnosed, his stepdad Eli, and his wife Ina were trying to go visit him in the hospital.
Eli (3:10)
We want to stop by the hospital. We actually drove halfway to Worcester and then she called, says the doctor, said, you can't come. So we went home. So then on the fourth day out, she said, you can come. And we came. So, I mean, Elle was controlling everything. That's the story from there on out, you know, so we went and we came to his room and he was in the room and she was like a nurse Even though she wasn't a nurse, but she was taking care of everything, making the bed, she was like non stop activity. And we're talking for like an hour and then at some point she says, yeah, I was so stressed out, I went home last night and you know, I shot up some heroin just to relax. And so Ayna and I looked at each other and we're like, why don't we, let's, you know, let us take you home. We didn't want her to drive alone. I said, you, you can't be doing this stuff. So she actually went in and got the needle and the whatever and brought it out. And I drove around Worcester looking for a dumpster and I threw it. I'm like, shit, now I'll get stopped by the cops. So I've got this heroin needle in my car, you know, and so, you know, we threw, threw it away. And then we followed her to her parents house and we waited till her parents came home. That was honest, you know, like, and so she really should be here and not home alone doing all that.