I came from a good home. My parents were sober, and I had a good, healthy family. Then, around age 13, I started hanging around kids in school that got into more stuff. I started smoking joints. It didn’t seem like a big deal.

But I started to enjoy the feeling, and I sought more. Weed and alcohol gave me the effect I was looking for.

Then I replaced weed with pills. When that stopped working, I moved on to heroin. I was addicted to heroin and addicted to the needle.

My heroin addiction went on for 20 years. I was in and out of jail many times. I had child support violations and lost everything.

A lot of people tried to get me into treatment. There were many attempts and many relapses.

Then, completely broken down, I called out to God for help. I haven’t been the same since my faith-based recovery.

I have my kids back. I’m happily married and working as a peer support specialist for the Lee and Owsley Counties Quick Response Team.

I help people going through the same thing I did. By relating to them, sharing the resources available to them and showing them that there is light at the end of the tunnel, I see it taking ahold of them.

Hope. Encouragement. They are not a lost cause. It can get better. With Jesus as the answer, they are going to make it.

Just like I did.