Recovering alcoholic organizes Clearwater yard sale to help cancer victim

CLEARWATER — Leah Shackton believes that she didn't fall as far as she did without leaving wounded souls everywhere.

"There are people in my life that will probably never get over the fact that I traded them in for a wine bottle," she said. "I won't be able to take any of that time back that I hurt anybody and so the only thing I can do is make a difference for the future. You can just pay it forward."

For Shackton, a 45-year-old nurse and student, that means guiding other alcoholics from dependency to recovery. It means housing the homeless. It means finding clothes and resources for ex-prisoners.

Shackton knows what it's like to re-enter society. After her fourth DUI conviction, she was sent to the Lowell State Correctional Institution in December 2000. She was released in 2003.

But today, paying it forward means raising as much money as she can for a friend's sick son.

Shackton and the boy's mother met at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. At one of the sessions, the woman revealed that her 4-year-old son had brain, spinal and liver tumors.

"She needed to unburden her soul," Shackton said.

The woman talked about blood transfusions, morphine pumps, chemotherapy drugs and pain management. The two women exchanged phone calls and texts, but Shackton wanted to do more.

She was sifting through junk in her garage when the idea hit her: a yard sale. She'd done one before and netted more than $1,000. This time, all of the proceeds would go to the boy and his mother.

As she rummaged through the clutter, a neighbor stopped by and asked Shackton what she was doing. She told the neighbor about her friend, the boy, his illness, the idea that she had.

"Well, don't you know she comes over with two big boxes of books and a computer printer," Shackton said. She realized that "if I put the word out there, I will get donations for this yard sale."

Her husband posted something on Facebook. So did her daughter. Soon her house was overrun with dressers, sofas, kitchenware, baskets, clothes, coffee tables, end tables, mirrors, china chests, paintings, desks, plants and Playstations. Others just handed her cash, which amazed Shackton.

"Ten years ago," she said, "people weren't going to give me money and trust that I was going to give it to some lady with a 4-year-old. They'd be like, 'Okay, why don't I just give it to the lady with the 4-year old?' "

The friend doesn't know that the yard sale is for her and her son. Or that at next Thursday's recovery meeting, Shackton will surprise her with all of the money and 'Get Well' cards signed by people who have never met her. Each card will be stuffed with Publix gift cards and gas cards. Shackton had about 20 or so 'Get Well' cards at last count.

"When I kept drinking, I was bankrupt spiritually, emotionally, financially," she said. "I like this feeling better."

Times researcher Carolyn Edds contributed to this report. Rodney Thrash can be reached at rthrash@sptimes.com or (727) 445-4167.