Season 11 Episode 10
Courtney
Age: 20
Location: Miami, Florida
Addiction: Heroin
Update: Courtney Renee Ball tragically passed away on May 12, 2020. See notice here.
What’s memorable: This whole story is about women. Ok there’s the addict boyfriend who never actually speaks to the camera and the totally absent father who Courtney met when she was 10 and who quickly abused her and she never talked to again. But other than that, this is a story about a family of women horribly affected by their precious girl’s addiction. 20 years old with abscesses and scars all over, hooking for heroin. Also memorable: The crazy, breathless, on-the-go intervention and the surprising followup.
Official Synopsis: Nicknamed the “junkie princess” by her drug-abusing friends, Courtney, 20, injects heroin up to eight times a day and prostitutes herself to finance her own and her boyfriend’s addiction. But now Courtney’s mother, sister, and grandmother are planning an intervention in one last-ditch attempt to convince her to leave her boyfriend and accept treatment.
Original Air Date: March 2012
Interventionist: Donna
I often think of Courtney and pray that she has found sobriety and peace in her life. She and her family so very much deserve it. Please keep updating us with anything if possible. Thank you.
i think the petition against intervention was ridiculous. it claimed a&e didn’t fulfill their part by providing treatment and that donna lied to them. i just watched the show and 2 months, she finally agrees and the cameras show her going to and arriving at Life Healing Center in Santa Fe, NM. She left after 11 days, but that’s on Courtney. Also, Donna did not lie about the Marchman Act. it takes 3 family members and courtney meets all the requirements. 1) she’s powerless over her use of drugs, 2) she’s likely to harm herself or others as a result of her substance use unless she gets help, 3) she does not have the capacity to seek help or to understand that she needs help, and 4) she is unwilling to get help. Check, check, check and check! the grandmother really annoyed me, btw. she seemed way more concerned about being “embarrassed” than she did in helping SAVE her granddaughter’s life. lastly, i know it’s the fault of the drugs but courtney’s attitude was really irritating.
I agree. Many can not get over the fact that cute little girl was a serious heroin addict. SHe was a typical master manipulator Donna worked very hard to save that girl!
I can’t believe the audacity of the comments demanding her last name and address or to remind her you care being voiced . She doesn’t need a bunch of strangers ,addicts and armchair psychologists to talk to here or trigger her and relive this shit because you care. Courtney doesn’t owe any of you anything and deserves to be respected as a human yet many of you still pry . You people dox someone everytime you post full names and phones numbers and its gross . Look at the links to Cristy Celaya on here and it shows the true heart of many .
This culture of thinking everyone on tv or the news is some sort of celebrity with no right to privacy was called minor stalking before the internet but now it’s emotional vultures feeding off misery. Even in crime cases when the family withholds a john does name gets ignored because people thinking commenting on them or reading about them for years in end makes them entitled to information. Lyle Stevik and Buckskin girl showed what I am saying and it still continues.
Luna….i can relate. But know that you have a kindred spirit in this addict’s prayers in Seattle, I CARE THAT YOU LIVE! You too Courtney….i think about you a lot, as I feel so hopeless and alone most days, but I haven’t given up and I hope you haven’t either. I always related to this episode, i had a very closr relarionship with my beautiful older sister who also was my legal guardian. she committed suicide in the apartment we shared when i was 18 yrars old. ive been an iv heroin addict ever since. i miss her so bad it aches my very soul. i admit, i watch this episode any time i feel especially alone and like throwing in the towel. the love kim has for Courtney reminds me so much of Nicole, my sisters love for me….God bless you and your family and your beautiful mother and grandmother.
Courtney if you ever see this… I am a 21 year old girl who is struggling with drugs as well. You aren’t 20 anymore but your episode made me feel less alone. You were and probably still are a beautiful girl. I just want to let you know that you are not alone. I don’t have family so no one cares whether I live or die. But I hope one day you get better even if I never do. I know it’s been years since that episode was released but it spoke out to me enough. That I felt the urge to come here and tell you I understand your pain. Best of luck darlin’
I finally saw this episode.
I cant help but agree that Donna’s handling of this was ALL wrong. I compare it to the sublime handling of Megan in Seth’s brilliant intervention, and I weep for Courtney. it could have all turned out so differently. I am certain that Donna’s approach in some cases is perfect, but it was wrongly chosen for Courtney. Maybe that rests on the producers’ shoulders, not Donna’s. Makes me so sad for a blown opportunity to reach her.
I hope the sister has gotten therapy to help her more deeply understand that she had a perfect right to “leave her sister”, go to school, and have a life.
I don’t mean to be disrespectful to the family, but it always upsets me to see a family member say their loved one is being influenced by a “low life loser” (or such). All we have to do is flip the scenario and it could very easily be the Boyfriend/girlfriend’s family trying to save their child/brother/etc and they’d be calling the current “interventionee” the loser.
And the grandmother being more concerned about a cop being seen outside her house than saving her granddaughter… she also needs help.
This girl really needed help. She had trauma that needs to be addressed, and she will one day die from overdosing. She is very sick and needs all the help she can get. She went through hell and back but she needs to know that heroin is not the answer. I feel so sorry for this girl and I hope one day she will get through it before its too late.
I too think Donna is great. She’s a realist and definitely knows what she’s doing. All of the interventionists on the show have their own style and personalities-some we can resonate with more than others. As is true in all other areas of life.
I pray Courtney is doing well…
I don’t see why everyone is so hard on Donna. Courtney was out of control. She came across as somewhat of a brat- she was alienated from her family only because of her drug use, yet she ran around saying things like, I have no family, like she was raised in foster care or something. I felt so bad for the sister. I hope they are all okay, whoever they are.
no. she did not come off as a messed up brat.
I thought she did. I’m happy to blame the drugs for it. Heroin makes you selfish, cruel and manipulative. Happened to me.
Hi Charlene how is Courtney doing
Please let me know how’s she is doing if you hear anything. She is VERY SPECIAL to me, as she is my life long BEST FRIENDS daughter!!
Aren’t you in contact with your friend? If you hear anything please let us know. This young girl’s story really touched and haunted me. I still pray she’s found her way.
Does anyone know if she is okay?
Hello, does anyone know Courtney’s last name?
Courtney has written me to tell me that she doesn’t want her last name on this site and I’m going to respect her wishes. Please DO NOT post her last name or link to her Facebook or anything else here. If you do I will delete it. Thanks.
So she is alive, how is she? We just want to know we are worried.
Yes she’s definitely alive. Sorry I really don’t know how she is doing, she didn’t say anything to me other than about her name.
So she is still out there? Is she doing okay? Please pass along to her that there are a lot of us out here that are praying for her and sending her good vibes. I hope she has a beautiful life now.
understandable. I believe you are passing along to her our continues support and good wishes….
Hello, I just finished watching Courtney’s episode. I am shocked, her story is moving. I think I remember going to school with her. I forgot her last name, does anyone recall?
Courtney has written me to tell me that she doesn’t want her last name on this site and I’m going to respect her wishes. Please DO NOT post her last name or link to her Facebook or anything else here. If you do I will delete it. Thanks.
Dizzy can you tell is how Courtney is doing? I have been searching on and off for months trying to find out how she is. Her story stood out more than any of the others for me for some reason.
Sorry I haven’t heard anything recently.
Dizzy, if you know her on FB can you at least look to see if she has posted anything. That would at least indicate she’s still alive. Her sad and tragic life is like so many others but, for some unknown reason, her story touched a lot of us.
I too have wondered how Courtney is. She was the dichotomy of fragility, darkness, strength and pain. She so badly and desperately needed help for not only the drugs but the sexual abuse and life as a young prostitute. How was her boyfriend/pimp allowed to roam free to take her from “appointment” to “appointment “? My heart broke for her and her family. I am less then a week shy of my 20th sober anniversary and recovering from childhood sexual abuse as well. Recovery IS absolutely and indeed possible! A great many of us get and remain sober everyday! My deepest prayers are with Courtney, her mama, her sister and wife and her grandma.
I went to high school with Courtney. Ever since I saw this episode I’ve been hoping to bump into her, let her know she’s loved. I really wish someone could give me news on how she’s doing…
Do you know what her last name is? No other episode felt like such a cliffhanger, honestly so many of us are left wondering what happened. Just feel bad for her, and worried.
I would like to know if anyone has any updates on Courtney or her family, being an addict myself I have a terrible feeling about how things have turned out since intervention, would love to be wrong….
I am a 72 year old 100% disabled Vietnam veteran and I am shocked at the family of Courtney she has been abused by her own father at 10 years old and it appears nothing was ever done. I did see that her sister and grandmother tried to help but it appears with the rules she was given all it did was push her away. So at 13 years old she hook up with this addict and turned her into one all I see in him is a PIMP sending that beautiful girl out to make money for him, why wasn’t anything done to him????????? With my addictions and PTSD problems I almost lost my family, it took me to realize my problems and face therm head on, my problems started in 1968 and went on until 1989 since then I have not given into the crutch but the thoughts are always there. I hope and pray that Courtney gets the help she needs, she needs real people in her life to show her the love and caring she needs, I wish I could just hold her and make everything right, it broke my heart to see her that way. Courtney please get better life can be show much better if you find true love, good luck.
Praying for Courtney from Houston, Texas
Just watched this episode right now and I can’t help to wonder what happened to her? Hope she is doing better
Just watched the episode I DVR it I’m so disturbed & worried about this beautiful girl I hope she is alive & well….Her mom not responding is not a good sign thats my gut feeling I pray I’m wrong….Praying for Courtney Laura from the Bronx NY….
I felt the same way. Her mom hasn’t posted since 2013. That is scary. I too am hoping my gut feeling is wrong. I hope it brings her some sort of comfort to know so many people are concerned about her and praying for her.
I sure hope Courtney is doing well these days .. She is such a beautiful young woman with so much life to live !
The Marchman Act may have been a convenient tool for Courtney’s family and Donna to use to get her into treatment, but as far as laws go it’s definitely not one of the better ones. Treatment only works when the addict WANTS to change, and forcing an addict into treatment before they hit their “rock bottom” and are ready to change is unlikely to bring about the desired result (recovery) and therefore pointless. I think Donna made a mistake by playing the Marchman card right away…she should instead have focused on trying to convince Courtney that treatment was to her benefit and that her life could be so much better if she were drug-free instead of waving the Marchman Act in her face. I think this is one addict whose intervention/treatment could have been more successful if Candy or Jeff or Sylvia had been doing the intervention. Donna is very good at what she does, but she f***ed this one up pretty badly.
I agree with you. I think Courtney needed a gentle touch instead of being threatened. Compassion goes a long way.
I’m sorry but just like they were locking crack heads up in the 90’s they should be locking Junkies up too. If she wants to “die high” then that’s on her
Sending best wishes and positive thoughts to Courtney and her family. All the best from Quebec, Canada
Is this Courtney? Age fits. She was born in 1991 or 1992.
http://miamiarrest.com/courtney-patterson/
No
Pretty disturbing to see her in a cab seemingly unescorted (cameras) to treatment…perhaps she wanted it that way…realize it was 2 months later
life is difficult, addiction is merciless..relapse quite common..
Dont give up …EVER …There is a fine line between insanity and surrender..unfortunately
I am a recovering addict …@ 8 years sober…there is great hope !
the 12 steps in my case have worked when nothing else did…
“God could and would if he were sought ”
Find the strongest AA program on this planet(USA)…find it and work it !
youtube has many very strong AA messages as examples
prayers for this young lady and her family, especially Mom
It’s been almost 5 years since this episode first aired. I saw it for the first time today and am wondering how Courtney is doing. I’m praying for her and praying for you all.
i just watched this today. ridiculous that you can have someone arrested in florida if they’re your family and you’re worried about them. i think that is so bad. and the woman who was suggesting it, I was getting the feeling that she really wanted to see courtney arrested. i don’t think she handled that professionally at all. Like, that was her main motive here. Not to get Courtney help, but to have her arrested. Bringing the law into your family situation is never the answer. It only complicates things.
Her getting arrested would have meant that she’d be sent into treatment – which is help. It’s not like Donna just wanted to send her to jail. I don’t agree with the law either, not surprised to find out this is in Florida. I can’t say that if it was my own family member, I wouldn’t do it. Many of us have no idea what it’s like to be in the family’s position so for that reason I can’t pass judgement on why they chose to have her arrested. Courtney obviously needed the help.
If they can lock up drug dealers then why shouldn’t they lock up junkies? Maybe if she was arrested she would still be alive today.
Because mentally ill people deserve detox/treatment and not jail. That’s one reason for the high prison population in the US.
Has anyone heard anything about Courtney?