In 1988, Darlene got married and a year later she had a baby boy. By the end of the year her world would be shattered when both passed away due to cancer. Her son was four and a half months old. Her husband was 28. Darlene, at the age of 24, felt that her world had ended.  During her grief, she consumed several sleeping pills and went to sleep. She would wake up from a coma on January 18, 1990 with her family and friends around here.

Darlene’s cycle of addiction was filled with resentment, pain and prison time. Sentenced to a treatment center in Las Vegas, Darlene began the process of recovery and learning how to live a different, better life. Her sobriety date is February 13, 2004.

During her recovery, Darlene began a new relationship. Her partner had three children, Chris being the oldest. For Chris, growing up came with several hardships (having no food or power at home and living a life where his birth mother was afflicted by addiction) but one person who was there when he needed it was Darlene. In 2011, Darlene received guardianship of Chris and the two have been together through thick and thin. It’s something Darlene cherishes since she considers Chris her hero. If it wasn’t for her taking care of him she doesn’t know where she would be. Currently in active recovery, Darlene is excited about Christopher’s future and she’s blessed to be a part of it.

Like Darlene, Chris feels blessed and fortunate for everything he has today. He knows he wasn’t always the best kid but he believes in the idea of turning a positive into a negative. Because she provided for him, Chris wants to do the same for Darlene.