Brianna’s Story

I never imagined my life would lead to a hospital bed, trapped in a coma from a blood infection caused by my own addiction. But even when I woke up—weak, unable to move, hooked to tubes and machines—I was still so chained to my addiction that I used in the hospital. I actually shot up through my PICC line, knowing it could explode my heart. That’s how lost I was.

Growing up, I always felt like an outsider in my own home. I didn’t connect with my parents or my siblings. I kept everything bottled up, building a dark prison inside myself. My relationship with my mom was broken from as far back as I can remember. I cannot pull a single good memory from my childhood. So when life handed me something—anything—I grabbed it. When I met someone who used painkillers, I followed. Slowly, I slid into opiate addiction, and withdrawal became my daily reality. I slept in the bathtub, shivering and burning at the same time, trying to survive the waves of sickness.

But when my daughter was born, something in me changed. For the first time, I felt real joy—real love. Yet even that couldn’t save me from the chaos. After a drunken fight with my mom, I went to jail, and she took my daughter. When I got out, I wasn’t allowed to see her. I spiraled fast. Her father and I went back to heroin, and soon I was shooting up daily, sinking deeper until the infection hit my heart and put me in a coma for a month and a half. My family never visited. I felt completely abandoned.

When I got out of the hospital, barely able to climb six stairs, I tried using again—but I couldn’t get high. In that moment, God showed up. I felt Him say, Are you really going back? And somehow, I turned and walked away.

Coming to Teen Challenge changed everything. The staff loved me when I believed I was too far gone. They prayed outside my door. They showed me that I had worth. Through them, I grabbed onto Jesus—and He pulled me out of addiction.

Today, I’m restored. I’ve graduated MnTC. I’m married to a man who encourages my walk with God. My daughter has her own room in our home. I work as a peer support specialist, helping others believe that hope is real.

Jesus changed my life—and because of support from people like you, I’m living proof that no one is too far gone.