Two graduates of James Valley Drug and DUI Court shared their journeys of battling the demons of addiction and ultimately changing their lives for the better during Thursday’s celebration of recovery. Now, the team of Kern Parce and John Peterson are spreading their experiences and message of hope with others.
Parce started consuming alcohol at the age of 12 eventually leading to methamphetamine. He was able to hide this dark side while excelling in other activities. But he needed to change.
“How do you put a price-tag on an individual’s life?, “Parse asked. “This is life-saving for some of us that embrace it.” He continued. ”With that I just want to say thank you guys for accepting me.”
57 year old John Peterson’s life started with abandonment, illness and trauma which led to violent crime and more than 20 years in prison.
“This program for me was about changing the way that I think,” Peterson told the audience. “In all my years living with trauma, I couldn’t ever change nothing because I was using.”
Between them, Parse and Peterson have more than 3,100 days of sobriety.
One of the goals of James Valley Drug and DUI Court is helping participants achieve recovery, not just sobriety.