Drew tugged his jacket tighter around him, shuffling his body around in the reclined, front seat of his car. As he laid there, he took a deep, shuddering breath. He felt his eyelids droop and slowly shut. But the relief of sleep was a delicacy he rarely received.
Two things robbed him of reliable respite. First, he had been burned before by those calling themself, ‘friend.’ There was no one he could trust. Second, fentanyl had invaded his mind and body. The threat of intense sickness kept him hooked on the illegal substance, and this lonely cycle of addiction seemed to have no end in sight.
Drew felt hopeless. Having used substances on and off since age 19, he could never quite kick the destructive habit.
Life took a turn for the worse when Drew had to face the heart-breaking consequences of his addiction. His daughter, who he had custody of for 8 years, discovered evidence of lingering substance abuse in their small, trailer home. His world shattered when she decided to move away. Drew, ashamed of his actions and broken over where he had found himself in life, packed up his car and moved to Spokane.
For about a year, Drew lived out of his car on the streets. With no one to call friend and addiction controlling his life, Drew was miserable.
“I’ve been in the gutter. It’s not fun… It’s a very dark and low and helpless place.”
However, a beam of light poured into his life in the fall of 2024 when he was told he was going to be a dad.
When Drew’s son Cody was born, he was admitted to the NICU for about 46 days. Amidst other symptoms of withdrawal, Cody struggled to swallow and could not orally consume his feeds. Drew, still in active addiction, visited his son every day. And every day, his heart ached to leave Cody by himself.
During their time at the hospital, Drew heard about Maddie’s Place and had the opportunity to tour the facility. Within the first few minutes, he knew that was where he was supposed to be.
“It was cool to come in and feel like you are at home.”
So, the day that Cody received gastrostomy (G-tube) surgery to obtain adequate nutrition, Drew went to detox. Soon after, they moved into Maddie’s Place.
Exhausted and withdrawing, Drew was taken aback by the support the nursery staff immediately offered him upon their arrival. Not only did they provide Cody with the best care while he rested, but they also did everything they could to support Drew on his recovery journey.
When Drew decided to completely taper off his Suboxone dose, causing severe withdrawal symptoms, Maddie’s Place made sure he didn’t have to weather the storm alone. “They took me to the sauna to get better. They bought me supplements. They went and got my teeth fixed. They went and got me a haircut… They went and got me new clothes to make me feel better about myself.”
Throughout their stay at Maddie’s Place, Drew and Cody’s health and well-being clearly improved. With the help of feeding therapists and staff, Cody took more and more volumes orally. Our staff also helped him through the worst of his withdrawals, teaching him self-regulation and encouraging bonding. Drew faithfully attended his intensive outpatient program, started going to the gym, and began to rekindle family relationships from his past, including that with his daughter.
“I know for a fact I wouldn’t be here without this place; I would be out on the streets still using.”
After several months at Maddie’s Place, Drew moved back home to Idaho. On good terms with his daughter, he is excited about the opportunity to be a part of her last two years of high school. Drew plans to get connected with recovery groups, a church, and people who bring the best out of him.
If Drew and Cody’s story tells you anything, it’s that, regardless of your circumstances or how far gone you think you are, there is hope. There is hope for recovery. There is hope for your child. There is hope for your future. So, keep fighting for it.
Questions? Suggestions? Email me at emma.jones@maddiesplace.org.
This blog was posted on March 14, 2025.