Mother speaks out year after photo of her overdosing with child in backseat of car released by police

'They exposed me and my addiction to the whole world'

Erika Hurt pictured with a syringe still in her hand after overdosing with her son in the backseat (Hope Police Department)

A mother has said the photo of her overdosing on heroin with her 10-month-old son in the backseat of her car is a reminder of how far she has come in a year.

Erika Hurt described the image, which shows her sitting in the driver's seat of her car still holding a syringe in her left hand, as "the absolute worst moment of my life."

While Ms Hurt sat with her mouth open and her head tilted back, her son, Parker, was restrained in a car seat in the back.

The picture was released by police, who used it to draw attention to the issue of heroin abuse in Indiana, before it was shared on the internet.

"They exposed me and my addiction to the whole world," Ms Hurt told NBC News. "I thought it was terrible."

However, she has now changed her mind about the photo.

"At this point in my life now, I do think it was a good thing, because I’m able to look back and see that's who I was, and that was the place it led to,” she said.

She added: "I was so hurt and embarrassed. I had no clue that the picture had even been taken.

"But at the same time, it was kind of a really big eye opener to see myself like that."

Ms Hurt attends court-ordered rehab and self-help meetings, and plans to make make a petition for custody of her son when she feels well enough.

Matt Tallent, the police official who released the photo, told NBC he saw Ms Hurt's story as an inspiration.

"Young people make mistakes," he said.

"People are allowed to make mistakes as long as they recognize it and come back stronger. That’s what this is about."