Touched by an Angel

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Episode 416: “Redeeming Love”

Episode 416: “Redeeming Love”
Original Air Date: January 18, 1998
Written by: Marilyn Osborn & Kathleen McGhee-Anderson
Directed by: Burt Brinkerhoff
Produced by:

Martha Williamson
Jon Andersen
R.J. Visciglia, Jr.

Guest Cast:
Lydia Alanna Ubach
Margaret Mary Joan Negro
Bill Dan Lauria
Karla Susan Traylor
Jaxon John Cothran, Jr.
Bulldog Romany Malco
 

As Monica and Tess take a walk through the city streets, they stumble across Monica’s next assignment, a young woman sleeping under a pile of garbage.  The woman’s name is Lydia and she is a crack addict.  As Monica follows Lydia into her apartment building, her beautiful clothes become like Lydia’s, ragged and dirty.  Lydia’s landlord, who hasn’t received the rent, resolves to evict her, but Monica pays the rent and becomes Lydia’s new roommate.  Meanwhile Lydia grabs Monica’s coat and tries to sell it on the street.

Monica tails Lydia to her parents’ home, where Lydia breaks in to steal money.  But Lydia’s parents show up, as do the police, and Lydia flees to a crack house.  Monica finds Lydia smoking crack and causing a disturbance among the other addicts.  Lydia runs into the street and gets hit by a car.  When Lydia’s parents arrive at the emergency room the doctor informs them that Lydia is not only an addict, but she’s also pregnant.   Their disbelief is short-lived when Lydia delivers a crack-addicted baby girl.  Tess, acting as a drug counselor, talks to Lydia’s parents about Lydia’s upbringing, reminding them that they are partially to blame for Lydia’s condition.  Lydia sneaks out of the hospital and tries to get an old job back; instead she steals some money from her boss and returns to her parents’ home.  She asks her parents for money and they refuse, choosing to take Tess’ advice and allow Lydia to become so desperate that she must help herself.

Lydia returns to the hospital, steals the baby, and takes her to the crack house.  Andrew tells Monica that if they don’t find the baby it will die.  Monica and Tess search for the child.  Monica finds Lydia, who is too high to realize that she has lost the baby.  Monica reveals herself to Lydia, and tells Lydia that God has a better plan for her life, but she must choose His help.  Lydia does.  Monica and a choir of angels gather around Lydia to sing and comfort her as she goes through withdrawal.  Meanwhile Tess finds and rescues the baby.  Emerging triumphant but shaken from a seven-day struggle, Lydia, accompanied by Monica, checks into a drug rehab program.

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