These smiles tell a story of resilience, recovery and what you can do with a second chance.
Meet Tara (middle) and her daughters, Stella (left) and Lyric (right).
Tara’s childhood was filled with abuse and addiction. She grew up in an environment where hope was scarce, and despair seemed inevitable. At the tender age of 14, she began to realize just how different her life was compared to her peers.
“It wasn’t until I was much older that one certain substance really took control of my life and that was amphetamines,” Tara said.
Tara wanted a normal life. She fell in love, gave birth to her daughter, Lyric, experienced a difficult separation and moved in with her mom who was in the active throes of addiction. It was only a matter of time before they began using side by side.
The darkness of addiction took its toll on Tara, leading her down a treacherous path that saw her lose custody of lyric and ultimately, to her first arrest. Her misdemeanors quickly turned to felonies, and in the span of just 18 months, Tara was facing 66 years in prison.
Lyric remembers the harrowing days of her mother’s addiction and the struggles that cast a shadow over her early years. Her heartache was palpable as she longed for the mother she once knew, the mother who had slipped away into the clutches of addiction and incarceration.
“Every day I would ask, ‘Where’s Mommy?’ And I would always forget, Mommy’s not here.”
Lyric’s innocent question echoed in her heart every day, a constant reminder of the chasm between her and her mother.
In March 2017, a glimmer of hope appeared in Tara’s life when she embarked on a 16-month journey in Family & Children’s Services’ (F&CS) Women in Recovery (WIR) program. With the help of this intensive program, Tara began to heal from her addiction and the scars of childhood trauma and abuse. She was provided with the tools she needed to build a successful and productive life. Most importantly, she was finally reunited with Lyric after three long, painful years apart.
The moment of that reunion is etched in their hearts. As they stood in the lobby of Women in Recovery, tears welled up in their eyes, and the question lingered:
“Would she call me Tara, or would she call me Mom?”
When Lyric dropped her arms, ran towards Tara, and joyfully exclaimed “mom” before jumping into her arms, it was a moment of overwhelming emotion—a moment that exceeded words.
Tara graduated from WIR in July 2018, remarried and had Stella, who only knows her mother as a beacon of recovery, a symbol of strength and hope.
Today, Tara is an entrepreneur, a super mom and an inspiration to many. She cherishes the life she has now, and she is determined never to give it up. Tara attributes her transformation to the WIR program.
But Tara’s story is not unique. Many more families are in need of the life-changing opportunities that programs like Women in Recovery provide. Your donation, no matter the size, plays a crucial role in enabling F&CS to serve more vulnerable adults, children and families. It allows us to invest in innovative services and respond to unforeseen emergencies or community needs.
Your gift goes beyond the clients we serve daily; it touches their families, their friends, their neighbors and more. Your generosity keeps families together, prevents cycles of abuse and reduces recidivism. It provides hope where there once was none.
Will you help more children like Lyric and Stella by making a tax-deductible, year-end gift? Your contribution is a lifeline for individuals and families in crisis, a beacon of hope for those who are still struggling to find their way out of the darkness.
“This life that I have today is something that I cherish. It’s something that there’s the highest valued placed on and it’s something that I’m never willing to give up. I have this life because of Women in Recovery and so do my daughters.”
Hope for Oklahomans’ mental health and well-being starts with you. Please join us now with a gift that not only makes a difference to our clients in need but also to those whose lives are touched by them. Together, we can change more lives, heal more families and create a brighter future for our community.
