The joy I had inside of my heart that day as I returned home from that first visit was overwhelming. For the first time since I made the choice to place my son for adoption I knew I made the right decision.

I walked through the door of my apartment smiling ear to ear. In that very moment I decided that if I was going to be a part of my son’s life the way I had been invited to be I needed to get my shit together and quick.

I had about a month and half of sobriety under my belt at this point but I was still living in a drug ridden house filled with addicts.

I had no job and no real way to take care of myself and the place I was living didnt ask much of me but I knew if I stayed I would end up right back in the hole I so desperately wanted to stay out of.

I reached out to some people and places to look for help to get out of where I was so I could stay clean and try to rebuild my life. For the first time I had some real hope on things turning around for me.

I couldn’t have been more grateful for the first interaction with Dana and Wayne. They showed me that the good I had long given up on was with in my reach and that I was so much more than a drug addict that couldn’t care for a child.

I knew these two people would be special to me but I didn’t realize at the time just how important that would be in my journey to get and stay clean as well as cleaning up the rest of my life.

” I didn’t lose my child; I gained an entire family and support system I didn’t have before” – Brandy Clear