Rio Rancho drug and alcohol treatment program helps woman get on liver transplant list

Ashley Lopez has reached a significant milestone on her path to a healthier future. A future that was in serious jeopardy.

Lopez recently successfully completed her intensive outpatient program (IOP) treatment at Rio Rancho’s Desert Mountain Healing and is now ready for a life-saving liver transplant. Lopez’s journey has been marked by incredible strength and determination, and her community couldn't be prouder.

“Thank you guys for everything and for guiding me onto a new path of life,” Lopez said.

Lopez's struggle began with a lung disease called Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, a genetic disorder that may result in lung disease or liver disease. That disease led to cirrhosis of the liver. Although she had been sober for two years, Lopez faced challenges finding a program that would accept her due to her sobriety.

“The drinking didn't help at all. But I have a lung disease and it causes cirrhosis, so I was adding fire to fire,” Lopez said. “They told me, 'You have to be sober. You got to do this, you got to do that,' and I did all that. But then once they threw me the curveball to do the IOP class, I just couldn't find anybody to take me in because I've been sober for so long. No one would help me, and I just thought that was horrible.”

After numerous rejections, Lopez found a welcoming and supportive environment at Desert Mountain Healing thanks to Gary Gamboa and Sean Roberts, who quickly offered her a place in the program.

Roberts and Gamboa have seen hundreds of clients since opening Desert Mountain Healing in April 2022.

Desert Mountain, located next to Elevate on Southern Boulevard, is an intensive outpatient drug and alcohol treatment program. It’s an alternative to inpatient care that typically offers nine hours of treatment per week.

“Any kind of recovery from drugs or alcohol is hard,” Gamboa said. “You have to really want it, you have to want it like you want to breathe.”

The IOP program was pivotal in Lopez’s preparation for the liver transplant, teaching her vital coping strategies and providing a non-judgmental space for recovery.

"When I first got there, I was scared and nervous, but they made me feel comfortable," Lopez said. "It’s a place where you can go and not be judged because everybody there is suffering their own paths."

Desert Mountain Healing not only helped Lopez, a 39-year-old wife and mother, maintain her sobriety but also equipped her with the tools to handle future challenges.

“They helped me learn to be vulnerable and ask for help,” Lopez said. “It’s OK to be vulnerable and to ask for help. It doesn’t show weakness at all.”

Gamboa, who welcomed Lopez into the program, noted her determination.

“She was one of those ones that was laser-focused,” Gamboa said. “She came in, participated, did everything she was supposed to do, and now she's on the list.”

As Lopez waits for her transplant in Aurora, Colorado, she remains hopeful and prepared for the next steps. The support from her IOP program and community has been instrumental in her journey.

“The longer I stayed in the program, the more I learned that this is a normal thing doctors ask you to do,” Lopez said. “I’m just so grateful for them because, without them, I don’t know if I would have been able to continue being on the transplant list.”