By: Julie Loomis

Word on the Street Issue 47, September 2024

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Maddy started her journey into sobriety as Mathew. He was an alcoholic and was found covered in bugs almost dead. In the hospital, Mathew was told he had advanced liver disease from all the years of drinking. He could quit drinking or die.

Mathew found himself at Interfaith Sanctuary homeless shelter. He started the recovery program 25 months ago. He stumbled a few times but kept going. Mathew also realized he was a she in the wrong body. So she transitioned into Madelyn. She finally wanted something more than alcohol.

Madelyn has been sober for 10 months and has been on hormones 1 yr and 8 months.  Madelyn also suffers from anxiety, ptsd and gender dysphoria. Her journey has been difficult yet she perseveres. She has anxiety around too many people.

Maddy just got a full time job that is not around people that use the wrong pronoun or do even ruder things. She has been spit on and is fearful of being jumped. This is not a choice for her and she can’t stop being a woman because that is who she is. Being her true self is very important in her recovery.  Maddy finds hope that she will become the woman she was meant to be.  Without this change she would go back to drinking herself to death. I am so proud of Maddy as she lives her best life.