To Whom It May Concern:

This is a very emotional letter for me to compose.

I am writing this on behalf of my 2 ½ year old son, Andrew. D is his father. Andrew is a beautiful (and brilliant) little boy with big blue eyes and a great sense of humor. He misses his daddy. When we say our prayers at night, he always asks God to bless Daddy, without any prompting from me. He talks about the walks they used to go on and the time they saw the fireboat. These are Andrew’s earliest memories, formed before he could even talk. It broke Andrew’s heart the day his daddy went away and started using drugs again. “Where daddy go?” It was so hard to explain to him that his daddy loved him very much but wasn’t able to take care of him right now. He accepted my answer, but he still waits patiently for his daddy to return. Of course, I won’t let his daddy come back into Andrew's life until he is in recovery for his addiction. That is the boundary I have drawn to protect me and my son.

I think if Andrew were old enough to talk or understand the situation, he would beg you to give his father a chance at life outside the prison system. He loves his father so much and he would want him to get well so they could ride bikes or play soccer.

Without rehab, I don’t think that D has a chance of surviving his life. I want him to get off and stay off drugs. And drug treatment is the only way that is going to happen. It could be the miracle he needs to live. This letter reminds me of that AA saying, “don’t give up before the miracle.” Andrew hasn’t given up on his daddy, even if the rest of us have, even if we are all tired of this. I hope that treatment can be D’s miracle. I think it’s worth a shot – just to give my son a father.

I think that Andrew’s father is going to die if he doesn’t get treatment for his addiction. He has told me many times that he wanted to get clean and sober. He tells me that he likes to be clean and sober. The last time he got out of prison he stayed clean for 2 months. He relapsed and was arrested about 2 months after that. I believe he relapsed because he didn't have the tools he needed to stay clean and sober when life got frustrating. I believe rehab could give him those tools, so that when he gets out of jail this time he has a chance to live a decent life.

Diono’s health is declining and he has many reasons to stay clean and sober. It confuses me that he chooses to go back to drugs and the lifestyle that accompanies it. It’s more than just poor choices. He’s an addict. If he can overcome his addiction, I believe that he has it in him to be a good father and a contributing member of society. But he needs professional help or he will never make it. I think he’s worth it. His son thinks he’s worth it. If he doesn't learn how to stay clean and sober, he will be in and out of jail until he dies, which will probably be sooner than later. Please give him a chance.