To the staff and faculty of FFS,
We sent our son, Colin B., to The Family Foundation School in 1996 as a last resort. We had tried everything we could think of to help him, but his conduct and our lives were spinning more and more out of control. We needed him in a safe and secure place far away, and FFS sounded perfect. We dropped him off and both cried on the long drive home. We felt like we had failed our son, but we also felt a tremendous sense of relief. The FFS staff had impressed us as tough, no-nonsense professionals, but also as loving and understanding human beings.
After about six months at the Family, Colin finally seemed to “get it.” In 1998 he graduated with straight A’s and some college credits. He was clean, respectful, humble and even quite spiritual. He attended Christendom College in Virginia the next fall and did very well his first year, earning 18 credits and getting elected class president. Then, shortly into his third semester, he decided he could have just a couple of beers like everyone else his age. He was expelled by the end of the semester and spent the next five years in and out of rehabs and jail.
In November 2004, Colin’s 34- year-old sister died from cancer, leaving two small sons behind. The following June 30, the day Karin would have turned 35, Colin got clean. We are happy and proud to say our whole lives changed that day. And we find enormous comfort in our belief that Karin had something to do with Colin’s recovery. On June 30, 2009, Colin celebrated four years clean and sober, and on August 29 he married a beautiful and loving woman, also in recovery. He and his new wife center their lives in NA. They are firm believers in daily meetings and working their programs. They are very active in service. They have good jobs and are working hard and advancing their careers. They have discovered how good life can be without using. Their families have welcomed them back with love, respect and admiration.
As his mother, a 13-year member of Al-anon, I feel blessed to have Colin as my son. I truly believe my Higher Power challenged me with a drug addicted son to lead me to Al-anon, because without Al-anon, I never would have survived the death of my precious daughter. Our Higher Powers know exactly what is best for us. My Higher Power has given me my loving son back while my darling angel looks over us all. I am eternally grateful to FFS for giving Colin the tools he needed to change his life when he made the decision to do so, trusting in his Higher Power.
As his father, I still thank God every day for the good work FFS did for our family. You educated all of us–not just Colin–about the true nature of addiction: that it’s a family affair, that relapse comes with the territory, that you are never “fixed,” that recovery is a daily commitment. You equipped us with important insights about how to stop enabling and how to take responsibility and stay strong. We not only have Colin back, we have his brother Kevin back as well, for Kevin was badly hurt by Colin’s addiction as anyone. The two of them are best friends now and the joy we get from that is indescribable. FFS was the turning point. You have our undying gratitude.
With warmest personal regards,
Don and Ann B.
