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Cath AdamsFounder of Aperture of HopeCertified Peer Support Specialist Recovery Coach
Professional Photographer Instructor of Creative Outlets Cath is available for public speaking engagements, support groups, school settings sharing her story and helping others in their recovery! "A child's first footstep is just the beginning of many more footsteps in the journey of life."
- Cath Adams February 13, 2017 the day I said to my sweet daughter “This day is the first day of the rest of your life”. Early the same morning my husband and two younger children shed a million tears and embraced our daughter and older sister with fear and hope at the same time. The day, myself and my daughter departed on a flight from our Colorado home to Arizona to begin her journey in a recovery center for substance addiction that was stealing every bit of her life. Her soul, built with amazing compassionate for others was trapped and prisoner inside her fragile frame of skin, bones and sunken face. Our sweet beautiful girl who just turned 18 was being taken away from herself and family by the use of drugs feeding her disease of addiction. Her last three months of high school senior year were spent in Arizona in a recovery home. Shortly after dropping our daughter in Arizona to commence her journey, I was given the official news of a cancer diagnosis. Our family was faced with navigating through two different major life events and two separate treatment plans. We needed systems of support in which we found within our community. I was truly blessed that my body freed itself from cancer but still searching and holding onto HOPE as our daughter continued to struggle with her addiction of substance. Her life was a story of traveling in and out of rehab centers, sober living and living in a "trap house" where drugs traveled throughout the household. We prayed, struggled without enabling and began seeing HOPE as our daughter and older sister to her siblings began to face substance in the eye and fight everyday to free herself. She has now embarking on a sober life and reaches out to others who are struggling with substance. Though everyday can present a challenge in recovery she has gained strength to build upon a healthy lifestyle. Given my "lived experience" that contains many layers of learning how to be a support and the process of addiction to recovery, I have vowed that I will never let any parent, family member and the one with the disease of addiction walk alone. I launched Aperture of Hope to support those in recovery and families of addicted loved ones by connecting with community. |