Falling, Rising, and the Grace That Caught Me.

I grew up feeling like I didn’t belong. My mum struggled to raise a daughter; she was used to boys. We fought a lot and at 16, I left home feeling unwanted. I thought I was escaping chaos, only to find myself in a worse one.

Running from Chaos, her father’s betrayal.

When I finally moved in with my real dad, I quickly realized he wasn’t a good influence. I walked into the kitchen one day, and I was like, oh, what are you doing? He said: “I'll show you” and he gave me my first taste of ice. 

That was the beginning of a six-year battle with addiction, rehab, and relapse.

My father didn’t just introduce me to drugs; he exploited me for them. I also had to steal to survive. One day, I walked away and never went back.  And within a few years, I was another lost soul in Byron Bay, floating between hostels and makeshift camps.

Darkest moments: Homelessness and Despair.

By 21, I was living in the bush with hippies, caught in a cycle of rehab and relapse. I went into a different rehab but got kicked out for using.

The truth is my story is not just one of addiction - it is one of survival.

At my lowest, I attempted suicide and woke up in a hospital bed.

A Cry for Help - The Turning Point.

A police officer urged me to get help. So, I called Teen Challenge. A support worker answered. He became like a real dad. He even officiated my wedding.

I first entered their program after other rehabs turned me away. I was barefoot, my feet blackened, my hair a bright yellow mohawk. I looked like I had nothing left. But when I walked through those doors, they didn’t see a lost cause. They saw a girl worth saving.

I went through their rehab program more times than I can count. I failed. I relapsed. I tried again. But Teen Challenge never shut its doors to me.

Each time I relapsed; they welcomed me back when other rehabs wouldn’t. Over the years, I kept returning to Teen Challenge because they never gave up on me.

Grace That Caught Me: A New Beginning.

That final stay at Teen Challenge was different. Something shifted. Maybe it was the sheer exhaustion of self-destruction. Maybe it was grace. But I walked out and did not look back.

I moved to a new state, met a wonderful man with no ties to addiction, and built a life I once thought impossible. Today, I’m a wife, a mother, and I’ve been sober for eight years.

Giving Back: A Story Worth Telling.

I recently returned to Toowoomba, my children in tow. I wanted them to see where their mother was saved. Where she was given the chance to become someone worth being proud of.

For anyone struggling, I’d say this: There is hope. There is help. And no matter how many times you fall, Teen Challenge QLD will be there to lift you up.

Teen Challenge doesn’t just fight addiction; they fight for souls. And because they fought for mine, I am here to tell this story.

There is a moral clarity to redemption, but it does not come easily. It is fought for, suffered for. I nearly lost that fight. Teen Challenge made sure I didn’t.

*Name & image changed to protect privacy.