11 May 2025 Author of the Month: Barbara Hanvey

By Susan L. Peterson

According to statistics, the United States is in the middle of a devastating opioid epidemic, and its deadliest driver is fentanyl. In 2018, 67,367 Americans died of overdoses. Spencer Joseph Hanvey, the son of Barbara and Mike Hanvey of Maumelle, was one of them.

In the book “A Mother’s Journey Through Her Son’s Addiction,” Hanvey shares a very personal story to help other families who may be struggling with this epidemic.

She and her husband met in Dallas, and they subsequently moved to Little Rock, where she worked days at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, and Mike worked nights. They lived in Maumelle with their two children, Hillary and Spencer. Both children enjoyed school and were excellent students. Spencer was a gifted athlete, and Hillary was a cheerleader. They regularly attended church in Sherwood. In many ways, they were the ideal family.

It was during middle school that things changed for Spencer. Hanvey wonders if the painkillers prescribed after Spencer’s wisdom teeth surgery set him up for addiction. Some recent studies say there is a link, according to Hanvey. Not long after his surgery, Spencer started smoking marijuana, his grades fell, and he hung out with a different crowd. It was easy to dispel this as typical teenage angst. But when he said that he felt like killing himself, Hanvey knew it was time to find outside help and make some changes. 

Despite knowing how the medical establishment works, they were unable to find appropriate, long-term placement or therapies for Spencer. In the book, she details the frustration of trying to find help. They even changed schools, but Spencer felt even more out of place and hopeless. He became very good at hiding his habit. Hanvey remarked that he was always very loving and respectful. He was even able to hold a job, and there were many good days that gave the promise of better ones. But the drugs took hold, and he continued down a rabbit hole. 

After an arrest for shoplifting, he spent one year at a treatment center in Charlotte, Arkansas, where he dedicated his life to Christ. Finally, there was hope. It was while he was on his way to visit family in Washington State that Spencer passed away on his 24th birthday, Sunday, Oct. 21, 2018, at the airport in Las Vegas.

Hanvey notes that the book is told from her point of view. She kept notes throughout the journey, documenting much of what happened because she didn’t want to forget anything. After Spencer’s death, she was in limbo for two years, unable to work and barely able to get out of bed. Writing her story helped the healing process.

Drug addiction does not happen to an individual in isolation. It has long-lasting effects on entire families. That, too, is part of the story, one she continues to live daily.

Barbara Hanvey is a 501DER WOMAN in the truest sense in that it took courage to publish this personal story. Although she still feels very vulnerable, she enjoys speaking to others to raise their awareness, share what she learned, and talk about what she would do differently. 

“A Mother’s Journey Through Her Son’s Addiction” is available online at Amazon, Walmart and Barnes & Noble. She may be contacted at 501.549.9751.