Local mom in recovery wins state Family of the Year honor
We are so proud to say that one of our local moms was given a Family of the Year honor Wednesday by the Public Children’s Services Association of Ohio.
Lindsey McIntosh lived in addiction for more than a decade – until she got pregnant with her son, who’s now 2. She was so motivated to be the best mom she can for him that she got clean and has stayed so since. She graduated from our Ohio START program, which aims to support moms in recovery so they can keep their children with them as they reach and maintain sobriety.
Lindsey’s son, Chance, is perfectly named – his birth presented her the chance to get sober and to start over mothering a new baby. She took a chance on herself and promised herself she could do it.
She worked with her doctor to taper down her methadone dosage. She arranged for Chance to be cared for by a Safe Families family while she went to detox from the methadone. She attends Narcotics Anonymous meetings. She found a sponsor and was excited to start working the NA steps of recovery. She even found a way to attend meetings virtually during the Covid-19 pandemic.
She often encourages others in recovery also, but sets firm boundaries to protect her own recovery and her young son. She acknowledges that Chance is a strong motivating factor for her recovery but also fully recognizes that she can’t replace the responsibility for her recovery on him. She understands that key distinction.
Lindsey is incredibly proud of the life she has established for her and Chance. She is also working at rebuilding her relationship with her older son and his father. She was so happy that they attended the awards ceremony. She is establishing a good reputation in the recovery and motherhood communities.
Lindsey has also created a strong relationship with The Pregnancy Center. She is relied upon by the center and other community agencies as someone who can support other mothers in recovery during their early days of parenting.
Lindsey finished our START program about a year ago. Yet she still stays in regular contact with her caseworker, sending updates about Chance and their successes as well as cute mom-and-son photos. She deserves recognition for her accomplishments. She is a great example of the success of START and for other struggling parents – she could have given up, but absolutely did not.
Congratulations to Lindsey and Chance on this honor. And thank you to our Ohio START caseworker, Ashley Pelfrey, who helped Lindsey every step of the way.