Yahoo Lifestyle Exposed to Drugs in the Womb, 20-Year-Old Now Following His Dream of Helping Others in Emergencies (Exclusive)
“He’s very focused on situations at hand and doesn’t get distracted by emotion and chaos,” Tammy Cutchen tells PEOPLE of son Wahid Leeman
Courtesy Amethyst Leeman
Wahid LeemanWahid Leeman, 20, has more than his fair share of challenges, including bipolar disorder, sickle cell anemia and ADHD. His physical and mental health symptoms are due to drug exposure in the womb.
Like many other young Americans, he was diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) at birth, which occurs when a developing fetus is exposed to opioids and is born dependent on substances.
Wahid’s birth mother was in and out of his life, alternating between addiction and recovery, and died from an accidental overdose when Wahid was 14. “I wish she wouldn’t have done it,” he tells PEOPLE in this week's issue of his birth mother’s drug use. “But I feel like she was doing the best she could at the time.”
Courtesy Tammy Cutchen
A high school-aged Wahid practicing using a stethoscope on his motherAt age 2, Wahid was adopted by Tammy Cutchen and Steve Leeman, who live in a community off the Maine coast. Steve is a lobsterman while Tammy cares for the family’s 11 children. Both Wahid and one of his siblings share an NAS diagnosis.
Tammy says Wahid’s path to adulthood has been rocky. He has “a lot of anger around his mother’s choices,” she says. He also has reactive attachment disorder, which blunts his impulse control — a combustible combination.
Wahid was incredibly destructive as a child, she says, breaking down doors, putting fists through walls and shattering windows. Once, when Wahid was 7, he even tried to jump out of the car because Tammy refused to stop for fast food.
“Raising Wahid was the hardest job I ever had,” she adds. “I have no idea how we got through it.”
For more on Wahid's story, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribe here.
With hindsight, Tammy takes responsibility for elevating some of Wahid’s outbursts because, “I put him in situations and places his system could not handle and then blamed him for that.”
This awareness is informing how she and Steve raise 8-year-old son Cruz Leeman, who has similar behavioral symptoms as his brother. “With Cruz we make great pains to keep his world as small as possible while still allowing him to have a variety of experiences,” Tammy says.
As a young adult, Wahid is aware of the ways his impulse-control issues can complicate his life — with long-term friendships, for example. “Like if someone did one thing wrong, I’m cutting them off. Or it could be like wanting to tell someone about something and blowing up their phone with calls and texts even if they don’t answer," he says. "This can cause relationships and friendships to end. I can feel really really really crummy about that.”
Amethyst Leeman
Wahid Leeman, now 20But Wahid’s NAS manifestations don’t cloud his enthusiasm for life. He loves fishing and swimming, he's a fan of reptiles — including his day gecko Lizzy — and he’s happy with his food-service job, “because I like money as well as the next person."
However, securing his future is his most important task at hand. Wahid is studying to be an EMT at a local community college. Next year, he plans to complete his courses “to make myself fully employable at one of the major fire departments."
"My goal is to be a firefighter-paramedic," he adds.
His mom believes a career as a first responder could be very good for her son, providing him the opportunity to cast his differing abilities as a positive. “He’s very focused on situations at hand and doesn’t get distracted by emotion and chaos,” she says. “In an emergency, he would do what’s right to keep people safe.”
Tammy says she and Wahid share a remarkable bond. “Wahid is special," she adds. "He has worked really hard and overcome so much.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
