Faith, love and second chances: Eric's story

Removed as a toddler from a family plagued by addiction and violence, Eric was adopted by a loving family but later struggled with addiction, crime and broken relationships. Following a serious heart attack — minutes from death as he was being wheeled in for emergency surgery — Eric prayed his first real prayer. He promised God that if he survived, he would change his life. This Easter, Eric — who works for and volunteers with The Salvation Army — shares his story of faith, love and second chances.

Thankfulness permeates Eric’s life. Soon to be married, a devoted single dad with a loving family and a trained chef, he knows that while life still has its challenges, it is a far cry from the 20-plus years he spent struggling in addiction.

“I would try to give up alcohol for my daughter [and my son, who I sadly don’t see], but then I’d just smoke more dope or vice versa,” he admits. “I didn’t really know what the problem was because I gave up methamphetamine and oxycontin easily, but alcohol and marijuana were different. Alcohol is just a nasty substance in general.

“I hit many rock-bottom points before the heart attack,” Eric continues. “As people say in recovery groups — you hit rock bottom, then you find a trapdoor and keep going.”

From childhood trauma to recovery

Eric was adopted at the age of four by loving parents after being removed from his birth family and a traumatic early childhood.

“My biological parents were trapped in drugs, alcohol, family violence and crime,” Eric shares. “I was taken away from that lifestyle and placed in a great home. I had a sister, and our parents really loved us. We had the white picket fence experience (without the white picket fence).”

However, the difficult upbringing and chaos of life with his birth family and being adopted had an impact on Eric and he struggled. By 17 or 18, he was selling drugs in Sydney and soon attracted the attention of gangs. At 19, he was the target of a home-invasion and threatened at gunpoint. He fled to Queensland, but addiction soon took hold again.

“I fell back into dope, ecstasy and amphetamines. I got some serious charges and could’ve gone to jail,” he says. “My parents really supported me, and [thankfully] I didn’t have to go to jail.”

If times are tough, we encourage you to believe in good for yourself this Easter. Contact the Salvos to start a conversation and find out how we can support you.

Years later, now a single dad, Eric was dropping his daughter off at school before heading to the doctor. His appointment was to discuss managing his ongoing alcohol use but instead suffered a heart attack at the doctor’s surgery.

“I was sitting in the reception area and the doctor came out and called an ambulance,” he says. “They took me to a local hospital, where they diagnosed three tears in the main aortas to my heart. I probably had an hour to live without surgery, but the surgeon and hospital were still a drive away in Brisbane.

“They started prepping me for surgery in the lift on the way to the surgical ward. That’s when I prayed, ‘Please, Lord, if you save me, I will change my life! Please give me this one more chance’, he says.

“I knew this was real and thought, ‘That’s it. It’s in God’s hands now’. When I woke up, I remember seeing the light. It felt different from other operations. I thought, ‘Alright, I’m in hospital, not dead’.

“Then I looked over and saw a note on the whiteboard: ‘Your daughter is fine and being cared for’. I passed back out again. I spent four days in the ICU and 15 days in hospital altogether.”

Looking back now, Eric describes the experience as “a blessing” that gave him the wake-up call he desperately needed.

From support group to service: Eric's journey of faith and volunteering

Eric began attending a 12-step support group (and continues to attend and serve as a volunteer). He says, “My first sponsor brought me to The Salvation Army. I fell in love with the place, already knew a few friendly faces, and haven’t looked back since.

“I come every Sunday to two (church) services and any other events, and I participate to the best of my ability. I am now employed part-time by The Salvation Army, which started with volunteering for the community dinner I now run with a team at Caloundra Salvos, as well as another community dinner at a different Salvos location. We also cook donated food and distribute 250 to 300 meals each week.”

Eric recently also had the opportunity to travel to Papua New Guinea to mentor young leaders as part of The Salvation Army's Hope and a Future program. Self-funding the trip, he also supported a friend in PNG who runs literacy programs for children experiencing homelessness.

Reflecting on his journey

A year before the heart attack, Eric had connected with (now) Salvos Doorways (emergency relief and case management) regional manager Calvin. While he saw Calvin as “an angel,” he resisted invitations to the Salvos dinners (which he now runs) until after his heart attack and surrender to Jesus.

“I felt useless, a lost cause,” Eric says. “But Calvin persevered. I couldn’t see any light, but he could see something in me and just kept chiseling away. We’re great friends now. He didn’t beat me with the Bible, but he planted that seed of faith as a friend and support person.

“My bosses at the Salvos are also good friends and mentors — just wonderful people of faith. We can have a joke, and I can be open and honest without feeling judged or like I’m going to be in trouble. I feel very comfortable.”

Thankfulness and gratitude

Eric says he feels thankful as Easter approaches.

“Easter and the resurrection of Jesus show he put his life down for us. I don’t know if I could sacrifice myself for the good of other people,” he says. “There is still a lot of selfishness in me.

“[There are times] my brain still goes for the quickest, easiest, most manipulative, crazy path, so I have to do the opposite — and so far, it has worked out. For me, happiness is important, even on tough days. But there is no point living a miserable life. Being thankful is key,” Eric says.

“Every morning, I thank God for granting me another day. When things come to my heart and head, I pray and talk to God. A lot of it is thankfulness — so much thankfulness. I pray for other people because I know how blessed I am. I want others to know God and to realise that God really can change lives for good.” 
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