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Jacqueline Zanfagna Featured on 129 A Day

jackieJackie Zanfagna’s struggles became evident before her 10th birthday. Some called her a “difficult teen” but her mother, Anne Marie, and her father, Jim, knew that Jackie was struggling with a medical condition and desperately needed treatment. Her parents sought help from countless doctors to no avail. Jackie had bipolar tendencies. When she was at her best, she was a bright, engaged girl who loved animals, fashion, and cared fiercely for her niece and nephew. When she was at her worst, her self-esteem plummeted and she was prone to fits of rage. Her parents were left to patch the walls where her fist had bust the plaster.

Jackie’s suffering went undiagnosed. Anne Marie, who suffered from rheumatoid arthritis, began noticing that her pain medication was missing and eventually valuables started disappearing too. When the Zanfagna’s realized that they couldn’t trust their daughter or her friends, they changed their locks, installed an alarm system, and got a guard dog.

Jackie survived one overdose but was so deeply ashamed that she pushed away the people who cared about her the most. Somehow, in the midst of what seemed a plummeting spiral, Jackie found some solid ground at the age of 25.

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Fourteen Angels of Addictions

Anne Marie Zanfagna displayed 14 portraits of Angels of Addictions that she has completed at the monthly support meeting at Mercy Street in Plaistow, NH, last night. Anne Marie’s painting have drawn the attention of the media and she and her work have been featured in few stories in the news.

Display of Portraits

Currently, Anne Marie has approximately 25 more portraits she is working on. Her paintings are form of art therapy, not only for herself but for all of the families and friends of the Angels lost to heroin addiction that she has painted including her own daughter Jackie Zanfagna, who died of an overdose in October 2014.

Anne Marie’s mission is show the real faces of addiction, not statistics. She hopes to garner support for more treatment options and recovery facilities, while lessening the stigma attached to heroin addiction. As Anne Marie’s portfolio of portraits continues to grow, Anne Marie would like to display her paintings where those responsible for passing legislation that would help addicts and their families, will see them, State Houses and the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.