From Addiction to Grace

After years of addiction, prison and near-death experiences, Mark found hope, recovery and a fresh start through supported housing, community and faith.


Mark's Journey: From Addiction to Grace

Hi, I’m Mark. I used to be a hopeless addict. I’m from Mayhill, where my Nan brought me up; I had an amazing upbringing, but I started using heroin at a very young age. I went from being an altar boy in church to shooting heroin and ending up in Hospital.

I had my first child, Ashton, when I was 21. I was told that if I didn’t get off "the gear," I wasn’t going to be a part of his life, so I managed to stay on a Subutex script for 11 years. However, I still dabbled with cocaine. Eventually, I started selling it. Even after my second boy, Ollie, was born, I found I still couldn't stop using for them.

I eventually entered recovery after one of the boys spoke to my dad and told him I was going to die. I managed to get 13 months of sobriety before relapsing. That time, I lost everything: my business and my kids. I actually died for 27 minutes from a heroin overdose, but by the grace of God, He had other plans for me and kept me alive.

I ended up in prison, which also kept me alive. When I came out, I tried recovery again, but it was a massive failure. I went to Betel rehab, but even they couldn’t stop me once I returned home. I kept using until the point someone sold me bicarbonate of soda instead of cocaine. That was the final straw; I realised I couldn’t do this anymore.

I phoned Huw to ask where the meetings were, and that’s where it all started again. I was blessed to be the first person to enter the Ty-Ogof house to start the program of recovery and learn how to live again. They helped me with everything. I stayed there for a year, got my boys back in my life, and reunited with my family. I am now a born-again Christian, and I owe all of this to the Ty-Ogof recovery house.

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