Deonne
In a recent interview with Deonne we asked her to share her story, views and thoughts with us on her success. She states, “I lived to use every day for ten years. I was what you call a functioning addict.” Deonne held down a job along with using each and every day. She also raised her two children along with the help of her mother.
“My lifestyle was lying, stealing and getting high.” After going to jail and having no one to turn to for help, her sister came to her rescue. Her mother and father had totally “had enough.” Her mother didn’t want her back in the house and her father was taking back the car he had given her. She was fired from her job and had nowhere to go.
Her sister came to pick her up from jail and told her,“Okay, Deonne, it’s time to get help.” Knowing this to be true, she sought help from the Horizons Sunrise Residential Program so she would be able to keep her children with her. While attending the year long residential program, she states that she “learned how to live honestly, how to budget money and how to parent.”
She sought help from the Horizons Sunrise Residential Program so she would be able to keep her children with her. While attending the year long residential program, she ‘learned how to live honestly, how to budget money and how to parent.’
After graduating, she submitted UA’S(urine drug screens) for another six months as part of her commitment to stay clean. After staying clean on her own for an additional six months, she was accepted as an employee of Sunrise.
She started out as a peer counselor moving on to being a residential advisor and ending up as lead residential advisor. After working with Sunrise for three years, Deonne continues to improve herself. She is attending Durham Tech to receive her degree in nursing. She has two more semesters to complete and will be assisting Sunrise as she can work it into her schedule.
Now that she has graduated from the program and moved on with her life, she said she is “an honest person, a responsible person, and good parent and a dependable person” even to herself.
Deonne’s words of wisdom: NEVER lose focus, be open minded and take suggestions along the way. Success stories are always great!