Brighton’s Mom Finds Her Strength
“Before coming to Helping Up Mission (HUM), I was lost, hurting, beaten and hopeless,” says Katelyn, age 38.
“I had a great childhood,” Katelyn shared. “My parents were happily married; we had everything we needed. I went to Catholic school, played basketball—I never wanted for anything.”
But in her teen years, things changed. “I started rebelling. My brother introduced me to marijuana and drinking, and our house became ‘the party house.’ My parents thought that if it all happened under their roof, we’d be safe.”
What began as teenage rebellion turned into something much darker. “I was suspended from school in my freshman year, expelled from my senior year. When I had my tonsils out and became obsessed with the liquid pain meds, that’s when my parents started to worry. I told them I could quit anytime—I even stayed sober for two weeks just to prove it. But it was hard. That’s when I knew—I had a problem.
“Everything I did was drug related—how to get it, how to pay for it. I worked three jobs and every paycheck went to getting high.”
She tried to get clean many times. “I’ve been to 17 different rehabs. I got my CNA (certified nursing assistant) and GNA (geriatric nursing assistant) licenses. Then I found out I was pregnant with my first son, Landon. I came to HUM to protect him.”
But addiction doesn’t let go easily. “While I was here the first time, my house was raided, and my boyfriend was arrested. I left HUM to bail him out, and he robbed me. I finally left him.”
She had two more children, including her youngest, Brighton. “When he was born, they took him from me right away. I didn’t want him in the foster system. I was desperate to get him back. Me and Brighton’s father tried a couples detox, but we were bad for each other.”
That’s when she came back to HUM—this time for real healing.
“Brighton saved my life,” she said. “As soon as I got here, I felt at home. They helped me deal with my trauma; understand why I made the choices I did. They introduced me to God. If it wasn’t for God, I wouldn’t have made it through any of this.”
Just two months later, Brighton was reunited with her at HUM. “It’s not common, and I had to work hard for that. HUM worked hard, too. Now it’s our home.”
“It’s possible to get clean. It’s possible to be a mom in recovery. It’s possible to laugh again,” said Katelyn. “Since coming to HUM, I’m restored, hopeful, loved and couldn’t be more grateful and excited to see what my future holds.”
