Carolyn and Rick Lean say they lost their son the day he was sentenced to jail.
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"Having listened to the discussions on the drug court and the drug rehabilitation centre, if that option had been available to the magistrate here in Dubbo, our son still may be here," Mr Lean said.
"That's the day we lost him because there was nothing that could be done for him. Nothing here."
Cameron Lean is described by his parents as a loving and intelligent soul who "would do anything for anyone".
In 2018 he took his own life after years of struggling with drug abuse and mental health.
It was four years earlier when the Leans started to notice their son, aged 24 at the time, had been abusing drugs.
He had moved from Dubbo to Newcastle to start an apprenticeship. Before long, he ended up buying a mechanical business which he turned into a high-performance car shop.
Soon, Cameron started to feel the pressure. He started to self-medicate with marijuana.
Ms Lean said her son was smoking marijuana "24/7".
"He just lived on it for a good 18 months of his life. He said to me 'it's the first time in my life I feel good'. So then it was let's have some more and then let's have some more," she said.
At one point, Cameron spoke to his dad about why they should get into selling drugs together. He presented him with a business plan, outlining details like profit margins, suppliers and how it would be distributed.
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The goal was to make money to put back into the business.
Mr Lean said what started out as a drug problem for his son, turned into a mental health problem.
"He didn't start drugs until he was about 24. But the thing with our son was that I think he must have had a chemical imbalance there that was masked by everyday life... Once he started smoking marijuana it was like a chemical reaction, he just changed overnight. It was so fast I couldn't believe it," he said.
One day, Cameron got involved in a police chase. Ms Lean believes his goal was to be shot by the police. Instead, he was charged with Skye's Law.
It wasn't the first time he had been involved in the criminal justice system. He caught been caught speeding numerous times.
Ms Lean said the magistrate recognised Cameron was sick and drug-affected but he was restricted by what he could do.
It's why the Leans have been fighting for a drug court and rehabilitation facility in Dubbo.
They want to ensure others don't end up in the same situation.
On Monday, Dubbo MP Dugald Saunders announced $7.5 million towards a drug and alcohol facility for the city.
"Unfortunately, too many people in the community are either directly or indirectly impacted by drug addiction and the associated societal problems, and this is a huge step forward in providing access to services that will help people," Mr Saunders said.
"There has been plenty said and written about the need for a facility in Dubbo and I have always supported the concept. I fought hard to secure this funding, but it is also important that we provide the appropriate services that ensure this isn't just bricks and mortar.
"This money, along with $3 million from the federal government, will ensure the facility is constructed, but we have also committed to recurrent funding for those services."
It's unknown if Dubbo will also be given a drug court.
Last month, Attorney General Mark Speakman announced a new $3.6 million multi-purpose court room was being built in Dubbo.
He was asked if it could be used for a drug court.
"This [new courtroom] will be future proofed and capable of housing a drug court here in Dubbo," Mr Speakman said.
But, no definite guarantee has been given.
For the Leans, a drug court and rehabilitation facility will save lives.
"There's others that shouldn't have to go through what we went through. We can't change, we can't go back in time now and we can't change it," Ms Lean said.
"It's just saving lives. It's saving family dysfunctions. Families become very dysfunctional when you have an addicted person living with you or around you, or you're caring for someone, or you know somebody that's like that close to you. It tears your heart because you don't know what to do about it.
Ms Lean said sharing the story of her son made difference to just one family or one person who was struggling, it would be worth it.
- Lifeline 13 11 14