27 years sober narcotics anonymous chip found in Southport

SOUTHPORT, N.C. (WECT) - The battle with substance abuse can be tough at times, but it can be the smallest of things that make the biggest difference.

Brandon Wilkins found a Narcotics Anonymous chip, forgotten in the lost and found at the Lowe’s he works at in Southport. The chip is meant to be a steady reminder to someone on how long they have been sober, and is supposed to encourage the fight to continue the journey.

The years on this chip added to almost three decades, 27 years to be exact.

“My first thought was ‘somebody is missing this,'" said Wilkins. "If they’ve been carrying around a coin or a chip for 27 years, they’ve had something that represents what they’re fighting and going through for 27 years, I figured it was important to somebody and figured I wanted to get it back to them.”

Wilkins said although he’s never dealt with substance abuse himself, he’s had friends go through the struggle. As meaningful as a the chip can be, he understands how it might get lost.

“They’re pulling out their wallets, they’re pulling out their lists they need or maybe some measurements with paper on it, so who’s to say whether they’re still clean or relapsed."

When he found the chip, Wilkins immediately went online and took to Reddit, knowing the owner might want to stay anonymous.

“I was kind of hesitant about posting because there’s a chance that maybe that person has relapsed," said Wilkins. "I don’t want to put this out there and put somebody on blast at the same time. Again, 27 years, I think its worth it if somebody’s out there wondering where it is.”

If you know of the coin, clink on this link to reach the original Reddit post.

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