Meet John
John’s journey is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. At just five years old, he experienced unimaginable trauma, witnessing his father’s suicide. Three years later, his pain deepened when he endured abuse at the hands of a trusted family member. Carrying the weight of these experiences into adulthood, John turned to drugs to numb his pain, a path that ultimately led to homelessness and incarceration.
Despite reaching his lowest point, John found hope at Pathways Community Center. Through connections to Keystone Substance Abuse Services and FAVOR: Faces and Voices of Recovery, John began the journey to healing. With support and compassion, he is tackling sobriety and learning to live with his past. John now encourages others to show kindness, as everyone carries a story that often remains untold.
At my lowest point, I wanted to end my life, just like my father did.
John looked forward to his father picking him up from the bus stop daily. At five years old, John remembers the time his father wasn’t there. Scared, he ran to his house, where he saw his father with a gun. Imagine, at five years old, watching your father kill himself in front of you. Words cannot portray what John felt: devastation, alone, and traumatized. As if that wasn’t enough, three years later, John was sexually abused by his uncle and sworn to keep it a secret. Envision having to live with your abuser every day. As a third-grader, John felt the world's weight on his shoulders and had no one to lean on. He couldn’t talk to his family, teachers, or friends. He carried this weight into adulthood, where he used drugs to cope with his shame. Things started to fall apart because of his drug addiction. He ended up in jail, and upon release, he was homeless. John wanted to end his life at his lowest point, just like his father did.
John came to Pathways and was connected with Keystone Substance Abuse Services and FAVOR: Faces and Voices of Recovery. They listened to John’s story, were compassionate, and supported his sobriety journey. Every day, John is challenged to manage his sobriety while overcoming his trauma. He wants others to be sensitive; you never know one’s story.