When drug addiction left Patricia with nowhere else to go, she turned to Mission Services. That decision saved her life.
Patricia never expected to end up addicted to drugs. To the outside world, her life seemed stable, until she was diagnosed with cancer, and her life changed forever.
“I had a normal life until I was nearly 40. I had a good job, and my kids were pretty much grown, and then I got cancer. The doctors prescribed me opiates, and it was all downhill from there.”
She began to spiral into addiction. She lost her job and her home of 16 years. Things looked bleak, and she wasn’t sure she was going to survive, until she came to Mission Services.
“At that point, it just seemed hopeless. I’d even written out a note to my family in case I overdosed,” she said. “I was a sick person.”
Patricia ended up visiting Willow’s Place, Mission Services’ drop-in centre for women needing to escape the pressures of the street. Each year, Willow’s Place receives nearly 20,000 visits from women in need. For Patricia, Willow’s Place was a lifeline in her darkest hour.
“I went to Willow’s Place when I had nowhere else to go,” she said. “Going to Willow’s Place was the beginning of my recovery. They were such a caring community and didn’t judge me. They connected me to the resources I needed.”
One of those resources was Mission Services’ Suntrac Addiction Program, where she was introduced to her case worker, Aly. That was a moment Patricia will never forget.
“She was caring and compassionate. It was here that I realized that I needed to be honest with myself if I was going to beat this.”
Patricia participated in the Suntrac program, and went on to complete residential treatment. She has now been clean and sober for over two years, is housed, works full-time, and spends her free time helping others. She will soon graduate from Mission Services’ financial management program, and regularly checks in with our systems navigators for help and guidance, and the support that she needs.
“There was one day that in particular that I was overwhelmed with life and close to relapsing, but I picked up the phone and called Kara,” she says, voice breaking. “She listened to me, helped me through that difficult moment, and I was able to stay clean and sober.”
“Patricia is the sweetest lady,” said Kara, Systems Navigator at Willow’s Place. “I’m so glad that we were able to help her, and see the transformation in her life.”
“Her success story is not only motivating for us, the workers, to see that we’re making a difference, but it’s also an inspiration for the other ladies who are at an earlier stage in their process. They can see Patricia’s success and envision themselves in the same position some day.”
As Patricia continues through her sobriety program, she achieves chips for every month that she is clean and sober. When she does, she sends those chips to Aly and Kara as a thank you.
“My journey continues on, and I wouldn’t be alive today if it wasn’t for them, so I make sure to thank them often. Mission Services saved my life.”
We are able to provide a complete circle of care to people like Patricia because of the support of our donors. Thank you for helping change lives!