Joy’s story is one of courage, resilience, and hope. For over 25 years, she fought a battle with addiction, facing choices that left painful marks on her life and the lives of those she loves most. One of her greatest regrets has been the toll her addiction took on her relationship with her children. “Addiction doesn’t just hurt the person who uses,” she says, “it hurts everyone around them.” While the weight of guilt and shame is something she carries daily, it’s also what drives her to do better and be better each day.

When Joy walked through the doors of ReMerge, she was burdened by years of loss and hardship. She had survived the deaths of her parents and grandparents—the very people who had raised her. She had battled and overcome breast cancer. She had served two prison terms and found herself questioning her own worthiness for a second chance. Yet, within ReMerge, she found the support and compassion she needed to start healing.

Joy’s path to recovery hasn’t been about erasing the past but rather learning to live with it and find peace within herself. “I have faced the pain head-on, and I realize that recovery isn’t about erasing the past but learning to live with it and find peace within myself.” While the journey has required her to confront her deepest regrets, it has also given her a new strength and purpose. She believes that, in God’s timing, she will rebuild her relationships with her children and create new memories that reflect her commitment to being the woman and mother she aspires to be.

Through the ReMerge program, Joy has come to view her past mistakes not as sources of resentment but as the catalyst for her transformation. “The very storms that have shaken me have also worked to clear my path,” she reflects. Now, with empathy for her past self, she is learning to let go of guilt and shame, carrying forward only the lessons that make her stronger.