Road to recovery: How three 30-something siblings came to South Florida to get clean

Some people come to South Florida to party.

But not Georgia adult siblings Cody, Brittany and Will.

They came to get sober.

The three siblings, who are going here by first names only and who now live in West Palm Beach, have a story that begins like so many from rural America. Born and raised in the tiny South Georgia town of Hazelhurst (population 4,000) they said that, with little around in the way of distractions or positive outlets, they turned to alcohol and drugs as an escape.

Their cycles of drug and alcohol abuse started in their teens and lasted for the next two-plus decades.

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Breaking the addiction cycle

Brittany, 36, is the middle sibling.

“My journey started in October 2020. I was in my fourth detox at the time,” she said.

In her three previous attempts at sobriety, she simply returned home to the toxic environment that controlled her life. But that fourth time, at the height of the pandemic, she felt was going to be different.

So much so that Brittany voluntarily placed her young daughter in the care of her best friend so that she could concentrate on achieving sobriety.

While going through detox, Brittany met a staff member at the Georgia facility — “I don’t remember her name, but she was my guardian angel” — who gave her Turner Benoit's business card. “The detox staff member said he (Benoit) might be able to help me,” said Brittany.

Benoit is the chief philanthropy officer of the Hanley Foundation in West Palm Beach. He helps forward the foundation's mission to create a world free of drug and alcohol addiction. The card proved to be a lifeline.

Brittany called Benoit and shared her story. Benoit was moved. “I’m going to go out on a limb for you. I’m going to set up a scholarship to get you the treatment you need,” he told her.

Thanks to Benoit’s belief, Brittany was going to be a beneficiary of the Hanley's Lifesaver Scholarship Program and she would undergo her treatment at the nationally renowned Hanley Center in West Palm Beach.

Scholarships support quests for sobriety

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The Lifesaver Scholarship Program is fully funded by Hanley Foundation’s donors, which include individuals, corporations and charitable foundations.

Hanley Foundation has partnered with 100 accredited treatment facilities nationwide to provide scholarships that cover up to 80% of the treatment costs; recipients can undergo treatment at any participating facility.

Since its 2017 inception when 71 people received scholarships, the program's annual beneficiary number has grown every year. In 2022, more than 400 people received scholarships and Benoit predicts that number will exceed 500 this year. By the end of 2023, more than 1,700 people will have received a Hanley Foundation Lifesaver Scholarship.

A chance for long-term sobriety

Addiction is hard to treat, and the path to recovery can be agonizing. Treatment, especially the first attempt, doesn't always work. And, while not uncommon, multiple returns to detox can heap on feelings of hopelessness.

But Brittany was determined. She completed 30 days of treatment, then followed up, with Hanley’s help, by going to a sober living house. “Going into sober living is something I had never done,” Brittany said. “It showed me how I could lead a successful life. It was like a bridge to sober living. They teach you how to live life — how to get up and go to work every day. How to start paying bills like a responsible, productive member of society.”

Brittany marked three years of sobriety this month.

Sister lights path out of addiction

The siblings had lost their father in 2020, while Brittany was going through her journey. With Will and Cody still caught in the web of addiction, Brittany became their touchstone.

“After seeing the bad times Brittany had gone through, whatever she was doing down there in Florida was working,” said Cody, 33. “I didn’t think it could work for me, but it can’t be any worse than this. So I gave her a call, and she called Hanley Foundation. She told them, ‘My brother is ready to get some help.’”

This was in 2022.

Cody’s program was the same as his sister’s — treatment then a halfway house. “Brittany guided me through the whole thing. She gave me hope.”

Cody celebrated his one-year anniversary of sobriety in June.

Of course, life is more than just being sober. “I had to get a job, start living on my own,” Cody said. “I met a guy who had been at the halfway house. He had his own place. He gave me a job. I still work there now.”

A winding road to sobriety

The path to recovery has been the most circuitous for 38-year-old Will.

In 2018, the siblings’ mother had died. That shock sent Will looking for salvation. He joined a ministry in Seattle, which seemed to provide him comfort and a sense of control of his life. He gave up alcohol and marijuana and, believing himself “cured,” moved back to Georgia.

His sobriety didn’t last long. With no support system (his brother and sister were in Florida) he began using again.

However, inspired by Brittany and Cody’s success, Will decided to return to the Seattle ministry.

But soon, circumstances left him homeless and alone on the streets of Seattle.

“Brittany and Cody reached out to me, and somehow got me an airplane ticket to South Florida,” he recalled.

On the heels of Brittany’s and Cody’s success, Hanley Foundation provided a treatment scholarship for Will too.

And that’s when Will’s real journey to sobriety began.

“As I went to meetings I learned about my addiction,” he said. "It opened my eyes to things I’d been carrying around for a long time.”

After treatment Will went into a sober house. “After two days I had a job. I didn’t have anything in South Florida — nothing. Now I’ve got a car, got my driver’s license back and have made good friends. I know that God intervened in my life.”

Relapse and recovery

Unfortunately, relapse after treatment is common — and that’s what happened with Will.

“After more than 11 months sober, Will started smoking weed again,” explained Brittany. “I told him we need to get you back in the halfway house — and get you back in the 12-step fellowship program. He was made to understand just how powerful addiction really is, so maybe it was a blessing in disguise.”

As of this writing, all three siblings are sober. They all have jobs. Cody and Will have even become registered voters for the first time in their lives.

“I live a pretty amazing life now,” Brittany said. “I never thought that I’d be able to achieve that. I just purchased a car — something I’d never done before.”

Brittany is married and the couple live in a three-bedroom house with Brittany's daughter.

Life is looking up for Cody too. “Life’s just getting started,” he said. “I have a job where I'm trusted and if I keep doing what I’ve been doing, great things will just keep happening."

Will has chosen to frame his setback as a restart: “I got to almost 12 months sober and I’m just starting over. I can do this. I’m working for a great company and my boss is helping in my recovery.”

When thinking back on that first telephone conversation he had with Brittany, Benoit smiles.

He credits her resilience, intelligence, and fortitude for her family’s rebirth.

“They just needed someone to believe in them,” Benoit said. “They’re a great example of how family bonds can sometimes be stronger than addiction. We hope everyone who’s struggling with addiction can find hope and inspiration in their journeys.”

If you or someone you know is serious about recovering from drug and/or alcohol addiction but can’t afford treatment, call the Hanley Foundation at 561-268-2355 or visit hanleyfoundation.org.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Family finds freedom from addiction with the help of Hanley Foundation