Andrew grew up in a stable family. As a boy he dreamt of joining the Air Force so that he could be become an aeronautics expert. He was a sporty kid and very bright. But he had ADHD and when he was at school this condition wasn’t consistently recognised.

However in his final year of schooling,  he was formally diagnosed and went on medication, which made all the difference.  He started the application to apply for the Air Force. The problem was that he had to be off all medication to apply. He took himself off his ADHD medication, without his doctor’s advice (that medication had given him stability and focus) and  his life started unravelling, and on top of that, his parents  divorced.

Andrew said, “I started to self-medicate with marijuana and alcohol. I had to let go of my dream of joining the Airforce and then spent the next 8 years of my life around people taking drugs and living a lifestyle that led me deeper into trouble. I started taking LSD and pills, and eventually, I started taking ICE and became a dealer. I got hooked on the power that it brought. Because I was dealing, taking ICE wasn’t costing me much financially, but of course, it cost me so much more. I got caught up in criminal activities and spent some time in jail.”

Can you imagine being the parent of someone like Andrew, watching on as your bright son makes one poor choice after another and, one by one, his dreams disintegrating. People like Andrew (and their families) need a fresh start.

And that’s just what happened to Andrew. Andrew googled “drug and alcohol rehab in QLD” and  found Teen Challenge QLD and joined the program. He started facing the deeper issues that led to his addictions and he got support to get on the proper medication he needed.   Andrew made that fresh start that he needed, and new possibilities opened for him. His parents had stood by him through it all. But when he was deep in addiction, his relationship with his mum had fractured. He blamed her for the divorce.

Andrew says, “I faced my issues, I reached out to my mum and forgave her, and I forgave myself…

I had experienced other rehabs but Teen Challenge was very different. It was personalised, I knew the staff cared about me (and still do). I always had someone to talk to (and still do). It was a welcoming place, and they went the extra mile for me. I had always been a hard worker, so I especially liked the work program, it gave me the opportunity to give back to the community and gain new skills”.

There are always new possibilities, new dreams and fresh starts to be had.

But none of this would have been possible without the generous support of people like you.

Andrew is now a qualified refrigeration mechanic, a homeowner, and has been sober for over 6 years. Who said dreams don’t come true?