Meet Michelle C. (SC #325), one of the toughest women you will ever meet. After escaping an abusive relationship with the father of her two children, Michelle found herself in another marriage with someone she instantly connected with, Kenny. Throughout their marriage, they both struggled with substance use. Michelle’s addiction came to a head when, one night, after taking Xanax laced with fentanyl, she passed out behind the wheel of her car. When she woke, her car was underneath an 18-wheeler.
Thankfully nobody was injured, but when she arrived home that night, Kenny confronted her for driving under the influence and their argument escalated in intensity before Michelle fell asleep. That night, Kenny passed away from a drug overdose in their bed next to her.
Even though these events should have been the wakeup call for Michelle, addiction caused her to continue hitting snooze. However, a few weeks after Kenny’s passing, she decided to seek long-term recovery. The first step was to turn herself in for the multiple outstanding warrants, which would force her to complete a ten-month prison sentence. During that time, Michelle white-knuckled her detox, a feat few have accomplished. Immediately after being released, she entered Healing Transitions to maintain her newfound sobriety.
Michelle originally had her doubts about being able to complete the program, but when she heard Healing Transitions staff member Mercedes’ story, she was instantly inspired. Like Mercedes, Michelle wanted to use her story and experiences to mentor other women who were starting their recovery journey. Now, she works at Daymark in Lexington as a Peer Support Specialist and in Administration.
The best part of her recovery journey, says Michelle, is “having my kids back.” Once estranged with her son during the peak of her addiction, Michelle danced with him at his wedding. In just a few weeks, her first grandchild will be born and she has guided her daughter through every step of the motherhood journey. “The people that shut the door on me”, Michelle reflects, “are all here for me because I’m doing what I’m supposed to do.”