08/07/2025
✨Testimony Tuesday 🕊️
On June 29th, I celebrated two milestones: my 48th birthday and two years of sobriety. It was more than just a birthday—it marked the day God gave me life again.
I grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, surrounded by an amazing family. But it wasn’t until I was older that I learned a painful truth: I had been abandoned at a young age by my biological mother, who battled addiction until her untimely death from cancer. Her passing left me with a storm of unspoken emotions—anger, confusion, and a deep sense of unworthiness. We never got the chance to talk openly or find healing, and I was left with wounds I didn’t know how to face.
My life spiraled into a 30-year battle with addiction. My brother once told me he couldn’t remember a time I was sober—and he was right. I always felt different, misunderstood, and burdened by secrets from my past, including sexual abuse and the emotional and physical pain that followed. Shame, depression, fear, and low self-worth became my companions. Over time, I became the very person I swore I’d never be.
Though I saw firsthand how addiction destroyed my mother’s life, I still followed that same destructive path. After years of broken relationships, including with my son, I tried rehab over ten times. Nothing seemed to stick. But in 2018, something changed. I had a life-altering encounter with the Holy Spirit. For the first time, I felt real love—God’s love—and I knew I would never be the same.
I stayed clean for almost four years and grew in my faith. But I began making small compromises, and those led me back into darkness. Within a year, my life was in ruins again. My health was failing. I didn’t know if I had the strength to try treatment again.
But God wasn’t done with me.
Two friends reached out and connected me with Pensacola Teen Challenge. A few days later, I was on a plane, unsure but hopeful. From the moment I walked through the doors, I was met with love. I felt safe. I felt home. For the first time, I truly committed to a yearlong recovery program, and with it came tools for healing—real healing. I began to understand forgiveness, gentleness, and the fruit of the Spirit. My mind was being renewed daily. I was becoming whole.
During my student year, tragedy struck again. My son’s father passed away unexpectedly, and it broke my heart. But God carried me through, and I completed the program. I was accepted into the Emerging Leaders Program and sent to serve in Jacksonville. I was full of purpose and excited to give back.
Then, three months into my internship, I received devastating news: I had been diagnosed with Stage 4 cervical cancer. I also had a massive ovarian cyst, kidney failure, parasites, concerning spots on my lungs, and cirrhosis of the liver.
It was overwhelming—but God was still faithful.
Teen Challenge surrounded me with love and support. They never gave up on me. Through their care and God’s grace, my body began to heal. Today, I am no longer facing a Stage 4 cancer diagnosis. My kidneys are working. I’m growing stronger every day.
I recently graduated from the first phase of my internship, and I am stepping into a new season with hope and purpose. I know God isn’t finished with me yet. He has restored not only my health but my family, my dignity, and my future.
Teen Challenge has become my family. I will forever be grateful for the love, grace, and truth they’ve poured into me. God used them to bring me back to life.
“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” — James 1:12
