ANOTHER
ANOTHER STATISTIC BETH McAVOY SAT DOWN WITH HER AT THE LEHMAN RECOVERY CENTER 4@IN ALFRED.
>> Reporter: CANDACE IS
EXTREMELY OPEN ABOUT HER LIFE
AS AN ADDED AND HER RECOVERY.4@
DURING THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS,
SHE'S NOT ONLY FOUND SOBRIETY
BUT A NEW HOBBY THAT IS TURNING
INTO A BUSINESS.
>> I STARTED OUT WITH DRUGS AND
ALCOHOL.
>> Reporter: CANDACE WAS 10
YEARS OLD WHEN SHE STARTED
DRINKING AND USING DRUGS.4@4@
>> THAT PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE
THROUGHOUT MY TEENAGERS THAT
GOT PROGRESSIVELY WORSE4@ I
STARTED EXPERIMENTING WITH
HARDER DRUGS AROUND 14 OR 15. 4@
FROM THERE IT WENT FROM COCAINE
TO OX HE TO HEROIN, TO HEROIN
AND CRYSTAL METH. IT WAS A
NEVER-ENDING PROCESS.4@
4@ >> Reporter: A NEVER-ENDING
SPIRAL THAT LED TO HER BEING
HOMELESS AT 34 YEARS OLD.
>> THE SUMMER BEFORE WAS WALK
BOTTOM. I WAS LIVING IN A TENT
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WOODS. I
WAS MALNOURISHED. I HAD NO
SOURCE 4@OF INCOME4@4@. I WAS J
RUNNING AMOK.
>> Reporter: CANDACE STARTED
SHOPLIFTED TO SUPPORT HER HABIT
AND LANDED IN JAIL, ON AND OFF
FOR FIVE MONTHS LAST YEAR4@ .
>> I WAS 80 POUNDS WHEN I GOT
TO THE JAIL.
I HAVE BEEN DOING
METHAMPHETAMINE4@4@, IT JUST TA
YOUR SOUL, IT TAKES YOUR BODY
AND IT TAKES YOUR SOUL.
>>4@ Reporter: WHEN SHE WAS
ARRESTED SHE WAS OFFERED THE
PROGRAM AT THE RECOVERY CENTER,
TWICE BEFORE SHE FINALLY
ACCEPTED.
>> IT GOT TO THE POINT WHERE I
DIDN'T WANT TO BE IN JAIL SO I
CAME HERE.
HONESTLY, I HAD NO 4@INTENTIONS
OF'S THING HERE.
I HAD EVERY INTENTION OF RUNNING
. THAT WAS THE FIRST GLIMMER OF
HOPE I HAD SEEN FOR YEARS.
>> Reporter: CANDACE STARTED
WORKING THE PROGRAM4@ AND REALI
THAT SHE NEEDED TO WORK ON
HERSELF.4@
>> I WAS FULL OF SELF-LOATHING
AND SELF-HATE AND 4@BEING HERE
HAS TAUGHT ME HONESTY AND
HUMILITY4@, IT HAS TAUGHT ME TO
BE SOMEONE THAT I CAN LOVE.
>> Reporter: THIS PROGRAM HAS
BEEN A TURNING POINT4@.
>> INSTEAD OF BEING SELFISH I
TRY TO GIVE4@ THAT IS WHAT MAKE
ME HAPPY.
I LOVE HELPING PEOPLE.
THIS IS SOMETHING I DID NOT KNOW
THAT I THRIVED ON4@ UNTIL I COU
GET OUT OF THE SELFISH BEHAVIOR@
THAT IS WHAT IT WAS, WHEN I WAS
IN ACTIVE ADDICTION, IF IT
DIDN'T BENEFIT ME, I WASN'T
DOING IT.4@4@
>> WHEN YOU GRADUATE YOU TAKING
YOU CREATE A SQUARE AND THAT IS
HOW YOU ARE REMEMBERED THAT IS
HOW WE SHOW THAT THE PROGRAM
HERE, WORKS4@ .
>> SHE BECOMES A GOOD MENTOR
FOR OTHER PEOPLE IN THE PROGRAM
, PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST COMING IN@
CANDACE IS ONE OF THE PEOPLE
WHO IS BEEN OPEN TO ALLOWING
HER STORY TO BE HEARD4@, SO THA
OTHER PEOPLE CAN FEEL CONNECTED
. IT'S BEEN A GREAT EXPERIENCE4
SHE HAS BEEN PARAMOUNT IN THAT.
>> Reporter:4@ CANDACE DAUGHTER
IS BEING RAISED BY HER FATHER
AND HER SON WAS ADOPTED EARLIER
THIS YEAR .
>> IT WAS MY ACTIONS THAT LED
TO THE ADOPTION, HE IS HAPPY
AND STABLE AND SAFE AND I'M
GRATEFUL FOR THAT.4@
>> ANOTHER THING SHE'S GRATEFUL
FOR, IS A NEW TALENT THAT SHE
HAS UNCOVERED4@ .
>> IT MAKES ME FEEL GOOD TO
MAKE PRETTY THINGS THAT PEOPLE
LOVE THEM. 4@
>> Reporter:4@ SHE BEGAN HER OW
BUSINESS, MAKING HANDCRAFTED
JEWELRY AND DREAM CATCHERS4@4@
>> IT KEEPS MY FREE TIME NOT SO
FREE, IT KEEPS MY MIND BUSY AND
MY HANDS BUSY, BECAUSE, BOREDOM
FOR ME IS A DANGEROUS THING.
>> Reporter: SHE DOESN'T HAVE A
NAME FOR HER BUSINESS YET .
>> IT HAS A TAGLINE, A
RECOVERING ADDICT TRYING TO
MAKE HER DREAMS COME TRUE.
>> Reporter: A PORTION OF HER
SALES GOES BACK TO THE CENTER
AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE
FUTURE IS LOOKING UP4@.
>> I ALREADY HAD GOALS I NEVER
THOUGHT I COULD READ IT.
IT'S INCREDIBLE.
>> Reporter:4@ SOME OF THOSE
GOALS INCLUDE BENDING
RELATIONSHIPS WITH HER FAMILY4@
>> MY SISTERS 4@HAVE STOOD BY M
SIDE SINCE DAY ONE.4@
MY SISTERS AND MY4@ MOM HAVE BE
THERE FOR ME AND, I CAN'T TELL
YOU HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE LET 4@
THEM DOWN, AND THEY H4@AVE STIL
BEEN THERE AND SUPPORTED ME
THROUGH ALL OF THIS.4@
>> MY DAUGHTER DIDN'T TALK TO
ME FOR QUITE SOME TIME4@, I
TALKED TO HER EVERY DAY NOW.
>> Reporter: HER DAUGHTER IS
TURNING 15 SOON .
>> I HAVE MONEY TO BUY HER A
4@ GIFT NOW, I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE
TO DO THAT IN YEARS.
THAT'S THE MOST AMAZING FEELING
IN THE WORLD4@4@.
>> WHEN A PERSON COMES ALONG
AND YOU REALIZE THAT THEY
REALLY AND TRULY WANT THIS, IT
SHOWS.4@
SHE WANTS IT.4@
AND IT IS OFFERED AND SHE TAKES
IT.
SO WE WILL