On February 25, 2020, my first born son Raymond sat in front of my husband and I and explained to us that he was done. He wanted to kill himself. He could not do it anymore...the pain and agony was just too much...he was only 19. The grip of addiction had taken its toll on our sweet boy. We sat on our tiny front porch together with palm trees and orange skies at sunset. It was surreal. By the grace of God, he came to us with this and we were able to get him into another treatment facility near our home that specializes in mental health and addiction.
On 9/11/18, at the age of 17, our son was admitted to a treatment program in Utah's wilderness for a serious drug addiction that began when he was 14. Being the oldest of 4, he went under the radar. He is absolutely brilliant. He skipped two grades in high school and was admitted to a prestigious university's Computer Science program as a sophomore. He had started two businesses in his last year of high school and graduated with a GPA of 4.75 because he had exhausted every advanced class he could get his hands on.
Just 5 days prior, he came to us and admitted he was a hard core addict. We had no idea. None. This had been going on for 3 years right under our noses with 3 younger siblings in the house. There is much more to the story, but I want to keep this part as brief as possible because I want you to watch the documentary!
On 3/13/20, the facility near our home sent him back to Utah for the next step of his recovery. At that time, we knew he could not come back home any time soon considering the world had been turned upside down by that point and we had to care for the younger ones. Soooo, we prayed and prayed and Let Go Let God.
Raymond and I on a hike in November 2020...a very special reunion...
Through the connections he made in Utah, he found Fit to Recover, a very very special recovery gym in Salt Lake City. It is not just a gym, it is a sanctuary for those in recovery. Through fitness, nutrition, the arts, and community service, they connect and persevere. They make changes and find purpose together. My younger daughter and I were invited to a workout and music group in June of 2020 and got to experience the magic first hand. The power of the pain and perseverance still resonates with me 18 months later.
Please check out their incredibly moving documentary, Dream Chasers:
Our son Raymond is a brilliant guitarist who has been an anchor in the Fit to Recover music group for the past several years. This documentary is 38 minutes long and it would mean the world to me if you find the time to watch it, even if you break it up into pieces!
Screen grab:
Below is a picture of us with Ian Acker (Founder of Fit to Recover and Raymond's sponsor) at one of our favorite spots in Salt Lake City, Hub and Spoke Diner! The food is sinful and the staff is AMAZING!
Fit to Recover's second location opens today, January 5, 2022, exactly 7 years after their first gym. This will double the amount of people they can serve annually.
Please consider sharing this documentary with your contacts and thank you for reading :)
I loved the movie. I’m so glad Raymond found Fit to Recover. They really need those in every state.