GASTON COUNTY, N.C. -- A drug epidemic that is gripping the nation has landed in a local woman's front yard. Now she's forced to "walk the yard" before letting her kids go outside to play.
All of this coming at a time when President Donald Trump has vowed to combat widespread opioid abuse.
For Kara Lesperance, a short walk goes a long way. She walks this short stretch of pavement butting up against her front yard in Gaston County twice or three times a day.
"What are you looking for?" asked NBC Charlotte's Xavier Walton.
"Heroin needles, meth needles, whatever it is that they're using because they get done and chuck them out the window," Lesperance said.
Monday, during one of Kara's sweeps, she found a needle not far from where here kids play. Sadly, this isn't the first syringe she's found.
"Just in a month, probably 15 to 20," Lesperance said.
However, it was a text message that put her over the top on Monday.
"What did the text message say?" Walton asked.
"We just watched the neighbors do a drug deal," Lesperance said.
The text message was from her 13-year-old daughter. Kara said she was scared and nervous so she rushed home and dialed 911. However, by the time police got there, they were gone.
Lesperance said a suspect left a syringe behind.
"It's gut-wrenching," said Lesperance. "Nobody wants to go out there and walk the yard and check for needles just so your 3-year-old can go outside to play. Nobody wants to keep them confined in the house either."
In the meantime, Kara's continuing her walks, but not sure how long that will last.
"I'm at the point of moving but the sad part is, this house belongs to my family," Lesperance said.