Why Tuck’s Place is Here

 

      I spent most of my life trying to escape the pain I didn’t know how to carry. I was fourteen when addiction first took hold, and from that moment on, I grabbed anything that would numb what I felt. I wasn’t picky — if it made the world quieter, I took it. I tried to stop more times than I can count, only to find myself right back where I started. I had so much, and I lost all of it. Eventually, I ended up on the street, not caring what happened next.

      Then I was offered one last chance — a final shot at life. And I took it. I had two incredible kids who were my heart, and you can’t live without your heart. So, I chose to try again, not just for me, but for them. I went away for treatment and didn’t come home for nine months. Somewhere in that time, when the fog finally lifted and I was truly clean, I realized something: my kids weren’t just part of my life — they were the reason I wanted to live. Six months after getting clean, my father passed away. And that February, my best friend — the man whose name inspired this place — lost his battle with addiction. Losing Tuck almost broke me. But my kids came to me, and I remembered that I wasn’t fighting only for myself. I stood tall because they needed me, and because I finally believed I could be someone they were proud of.

Today, I’m 5½ years clean. I still go to my groups every week like I’m one day sober. I still avoid the people and places that would pull me backward. I still choose the opposite of everything that once destroyed me.

      I have the love of my family. I found the love for myself along the way. And when Tuck lost his battle, I found mine.

     That’s when I knew it was time to become part of the solution — to take the love I felt inside me and share it with anyone who needs it. Tuck’s Place is my way of carrying his love forward, offering the safety he gave me to people who feel lost, overwhelmed, or alone. I’m here to help you find whatever it is that makes you want to win again. Today, I’m a freshman in college, working toward my Bachelor’s in Behavioral Health Science. I’m a present father who listens to his children. I’m a son who loves the woman who never gave up on him. And I’m someone who knows exactly what it feels like when addiction or mental health pain makes life feel impossible.

I was there — and beyond. I fell far enough that I had to choose: live or die. I was blessed to find my heart, and I grabbed it with both hands. I will never let go again.

I want that for you, too.

You are not alone. May you find your heart — and never let go.