Betsy's Second chance
Breaking the cycle, one choice at a time
Some people grow up with a roadmap of what they hope to become.
Others grow up with a roadmap of what they never want to be.
For Betsy, addiction wasn't something she only witnessed from a distance—it was woven into her childhood. Her mother struggled with addiction for nearly all of Betsy's life and was absent from it after 1997. Five years ago, her mother passed away from those same addictions.
Instead of allowing that pain to define her future, Betsy made a different choice.
This Fourth of July, she celebrated 19 years of sobriety—a milestone built one day, one decision, and one act of courage at a time.
Betsy's addiction included marijuana, prescription medications, benzodiazepines, and a cycle of uppers and downers.
Like many people in recovery, the beginning wasn't easy.
"It was a struggle at first," she says simply.
Her turning point came when she became pregnant with her son.
She knew exactly what kind of mother she didn't want to become.
Having grown up without the consistent love and presence of her own mother, Betsy made a promise to herself that her children would experience something different. She wasn't going to let addiction steal those moments from them the way it had stolen so much from her childhood.
That promise became the foundation for everything that followed.
Today, Betsy is a single mother raising two incredible children.
Her oldest son, 19, has different abilities. Her 12-year-old daughter is exceptionally gifted.
She lights up when she talks about them.
They're not only her greatest motivation—they're also her biggest supporters.
"They know my past and do not judge me for it. They remind me how far I've come and how far I'm going."
Over the past 19 years, Betsy has built a life rooted in stability, love, and purpose.
She became a homeowner through Habitat for Humanity.
She works every day as a special education paraprofessional, helping children with the highest support needs.
And now, she's pursuing another dream she once placed on hold: returning to nursing school this fall to earn her degree.
For Betsy, sobriety didn't just change her life.
It gave her the chance to build one.
One of the hardest parts of Betsy's journey came long after she stopped using.
Living with anxiety and depression meant eventually needing medication.
That decision terrified her.
She worried that taking medication—even as prescribed—might send her back down the path she'd fought so hard to leave behind.
It didn't.
Her honesty is an important reminder that recovery looks different for everyone, and that seeking appropriate medical care isn't a sign of failure.
Sometimes healing means asking for help in new ways.
If there's one thing Betsy wishes more people understood, it's this:
Addiction isn't always a choice.
"Sometimes people try something once and become addicted unintentionally."
And for anyone who may be struggling today, her message is beautifully simple:
"You're loved. You're worth more. And there is a way."
Those words carry extra weight coming from someone who's lived them.
When Betsy reflects on her life today, gratitude comes easily.
She's grateful for her children.
For her home.
For her career.
For the opportunity to continue chasing her dream of becoming a nurse.
To her, a second chance means having the opportunity to become a better version of herself—for her own future, for her children's future, and even for complete strangers whose lives she may one day touch.
Nineteen years ago, Betsy chose recovery.
Today, she's living proof that one courageous decision can echo through generations.
Not only changing one life...
…but changing an entire family's story.
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Reflections from the photographer
When I read Betsy's story, one theme kept standing out to me: the incredible power of breaking a cycle.
She wasn't handed an easy childhood. She grew up watching addiction affect the person who was supposed to protect and nurture her. It would've been understandable if she believed that was simply the life she was destined to repeat.
Instead, she chose something different.
What amazes me most isn't just the fact that she celebrated 19 years of sobriety this July. It's everything she's built because of those 19 years. She became a homeowner. She built a career serving children with disabilities. She's raising two amazing kids who know her story and love her because of it—not in spite of it. And now she's courageously returning to nursing school to keep growing.
There's one sentence she wrote to me that I don't think I'll ever forget:
"You're Loved."
Not "you were."
Not "you will be."
You Are.
Sometimes the simplest words carry the greatest truth.
Betsy, thank you for trusting me with your story and for your kind words about this project. It means more than I can put into words. Congratulations on 19 years of sobriety!!! I hope this session reminds you of something you already know deep down:
You didn't just change your own life.
You changed the future for your children, and through your story, you'll undoubtedly inspire someone else to believe that they can change theirs too.
Xo, Tierney
