Born and raised in the Hamilton neighborhood of Northeast Baltimore, my early life was filled with instability that set the stage for a long struggle with addiction. Despite 12 years of Catholic and private schooling, partying quickly eclipsed my education and ambitions after entering the restaurant industry at age 13. What began as full-time restaurant work and part-time college devolved into a downward spiral of DUIs, drug arrests, financial ruin, and a painful divorce in 2009. Bouncing between severe alcoholism and heavy opioid use, my ego and addiction took total control. By the summer of 2012, I was homeless, living out of a Joppa Road motel, and completely unable to support myself.
In September 2012, my body gave out. Hospitalized with end-stage liver cirrhosis, alcoholic hepatitis, and severe anemia, local hospitals declared there was nothing more they could do. In a miraculous turn of events, I was admitted to the University of Maryland Medical Center, placed on the transplant list, and received a life-saving liver transplant within 21 hours. Spent four months in the hospital relearning how to walk, my desire to drink was completely lifted, marking the true beginning of my spiritual and physical rebirth.
Rebuilding my life from scratch, I took my first job setting appointments for a local home improvement company😉😉—unaware that it was operated by people in recovery, including my employer. That safe, supportive environment became a vital cornerstone of my early sobriety. Driven to make my life mean something, I walked away from sales and mortgage brokering to pursue addiction counseling. Over the next decade, I earned my clinical license (CSC-AD), directed residential treatment programs, and opened two recovery residences in Hamilton to support individuals rebuilding their lives.
Today, alongside clinical partners, I am co-founding a clinician-owned residential treatment facility dedicated to high-quality, patient-centered care. My journey of resilience continues today as I navigate the organ waitlist for a dual liver and kidney transplant—a result of complications from my emergency 2012 procedure and long-term anti-rejection medications. Supported by my wife, my son, and an unwavering faith in God, I approach this trial with profound gratitude. Having rebuilt my own family life and helped countless clients restore ties with their loved ones, I deeply support Reaching for Recovery. Addiction touches almost every family, but the transformation of recovery proves that healing is possible. No one working tirelessly to rebuild their life should face stigma—especially in the family court system, where restoring parent and family roles matters most.
