An American couple who lost their son after he battled drug and mental health problems encouraged participants in Bermudian treatment courts to stay committed.

Michael and Tia Buckham-White spoke during a private special sitting honouring the efforts of those involved with the Drug Treatment and Mental Health Treatment courts.

Ms Buckham-White said court services such as those offered through the programmes could have saved her son, McLeod.

She added: “With the opportunity that you have — the community that’s been built, the work that you all have done to help yourselves — we can’t say enough how fortunate and blessed you all are to have a community and professionals who see you and value you enough to help you decide what choices you want to make to move yourself forward.”

The annual Thanksgiving Court ceremony, held in the Supreme Court, featured those enrolled in the two treatment courts, as well as ministers, staff from the Department of Court Services and members of the judiciary.

The programmes give those who admitted crimes driven by addiction or mental health challenges a chance to seek rehabilitation.

Ms Buckham-White said that the couple’s son had a THC sensitivity and suffered from THC-induced psychosis after consuming legal cannabis in high school.

She said her son had access to legal cannabis in the state where he went to university, which led to his addiction and developed his psychological challenges.

Mr Buckham-White said that the couple’s son was in and out of court and treatment programmes until he died on March 30, 2023 at the age of 22.

He said his son was a “creative” and “special” individual who was “brilliant in school” and enjoyed singing and sports.

Mr Buckham-White added that he and his wife felt inspired to speak after hearing about “the opportunity at second chances that this court provides to this community”.

He encouraged those in the treatment programmes to remain resilient and to not be afraid to ask for help.

Mr Buckham-White added: “Keep going, keep moving forward and keep tapping into the resources you have.

“Know that you are loved and that love will be there for you, even when you don’t think it would be.”

During the thanksgiving ceremony, several participants read poems inspired by their experiences and shared testimonies about how the treatment courts helped them.

A 34-year-old man, who graduated from the Mental Health Treatment Court on Tuesday, said he would have been “lost or, worse, dead” without the help.

He told the court that the programme gave him another chance at life and showed him how to learn from his mistakes.

The speaker added: “Becoming the man I am today took courage, hard work and a commitment to change.

“There were many times I felt discouraged, but reminded myself ‘the past doesn’t determine my future’.

“I refuse to let fear, shame or other people’s opinions stop me from becoming a better person.

“Another chance at life is a precious gift that should never be wasted.”

A 39-year-old man credited Focus Counselling Services and the court’s Drug Treatment Programme as forces that protected him from himself.

He admitted: “Some days I didn’t want to do it because I felt like I was in prison, but I said ‘trust the process, stick it through’.”

Now, after being clean for years, the man said he was “so grateful” he no longer toiled with addiction.

He added: “Any time someone tries to offer me something, I just keep it moving.

“I can’t afford to get sidetracked; I cannot afford to go back.

“I have children to think about, I have a family to think about; me and my mother actually have a relationship.”

Others used the opportunity to share their appreciation for the participants and those who assisted with the programmes.

Puisne Judge Juan Wolffe, who helped jump-start the treatment programmes, commended the work of senior magistrate Maxanne Anderson, who now oversees the courts.

He said: “I used to preside over the treatment courts and I thought I was doing a pretty good job, but what the senior magistrate has done over the last several years is nothing short of phenomenal.

“She has injected into this programme a level of empathy, sympathy, dedication and commitment that I never would have been able to do so.”

Mr Justice Wolffe also thanked Chief Justice Larry Mussenden and the Government for their interest and support in the programme, admitting that “a lot of people did not have faith in this” when it first started.

Ms Anderson took the opportunity to renew her call for better assistance to help those with dual-diagnoses.

She said: “Securing a dual-diagnosis unit for the treatment of co-occurring disorders and a forensic unit has been unjustly difficult and continues to be a major challenge.

“We will continue to advocate for support.”