The Moment He Walked Through the Doors, Everything Changed
Tighe was born in Philadelphia. His mother worked overnight shifts as a nurse, and his father, a former professional hockey player, turned firefighter, raised him.
“My dad drank,” Tighe recalls. “When I was 13, he told me to sit down and have a couple of beers with him. I threw up. I knew he had a problem. He got into fights a lot and was physical with my mom. In my chaotic household, I just wanted to be normal. I stayed quiet so I wouldn’t draw attention to myself.”
“In my twenties, my drinking went from normal to addiction. I was working, going to college, doing well, but I dropped out and focused on healthcare work. Work and alcohol took over. One night, I was at a bar when the hospital called because they were short-staffed. I showed up, and my team had to douse me in cologne and give me gum because I smelled like alcohol.”
“I started having close calls while driving and sleeping through shifts. I knew I was an alcoholic. When my mother and sister moved to Florida, I thought a change of scenery might fix things. I packed up and moved to Bradenton. The only problem was I brought my drinking with me.”
“In 2024, after years of drinking and drug use, my life became unmanageable. I was evicted and had nowhere to go but the streets. I lost everything. I found an abandoned semi-trailer and spent my first night sleeping underneath it. I was scared, but I went into survival mode. I prayed, ‘God, please keep me safe and help me find something better. I will pass Your love on and help others like me.’”
“Nine months later, that prayer was answered. Tighe was referred to come to Helping Up in Baltimore to receive long term residential recovery services. Before I left, I had a court date for trespassing that led to 28 days in jail. The day I was released, I boarded a plane for Helping Up Mission.”
“I was nervous walking through the doors, but I felt an immediate sense of calm. Everyone I passed said, ‘Hi.’ My first meal was a great hamburger, and for the first time in a long time, I slept well.”
“This is a special community. I am learning job skills, including computer coding for CNC machining, and I have a job interview this week. My mom calls this place the ‘Happy Up Mission’ because I am becoming the person I always wanted to be. Before coming here, I was the most unlikable version of myself. Now I can look in the mirror and be proud of who I see.”
“To the donors, thank you for giving me a second chance and the tools to grow and become my best self. God, thank You for this miracle. I will pass it on to others who are struggling.”
