letter by Christopher Doyle
“About four months ago, I was in such a dark place that I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it out alive. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to. Thirteen years of heroin addiction and failed attempts at getting clean had brought me to a place of such hopelessness and despair that giving up seemed like a viable option.
Scott Zebrowski didn’t die in vain. If his family can find any solace in his death, I hope it’s in the fact that he’s saved the lives of countless addicts, including my own. His scholarship gave me so much more than rent for a few weeks. It gave me hope, it game me a foundation upon which to build my recovery, and it gave me another shot at life.
Today, I’m in such a different place in life than I was four months ago. I’m healthy, I’m employed, I’m hopeful, and I’m happy. Today, I want to live and I want to recover. Today, I like the person I see in the mirror staring back at me.
I know there’s nothing I could say that could ever bring Scott back or ease the pain his family has felt but Scott gave an addict like me a second chance at life and for that I am forever grateful.”
Note from Anne Moss: Jill Cichowicz has a twin brother who died from overdose. In his memory, she has raised funds to help those seeking recovery who lack the funding to get the help they need. McShin’s Scott Zebrowski Scholarship Fund provides financial assistance for individuals seeking recovery from Substance Use Disorders. This letter is from one of the young men who was struggling with addiction and a recipient of the scholarship funding. Dedication Event for Scott.
What a wonderful, beautiful legacy!