What does a mother do when after ten years of drug and alcohol abuse her son is faced with serious jail time? After all of her family’s attempts to save him have failed, is prison the only solution? She takes on the challenge to travel 1,300 miles to be with him when he is taken into custody. To bear witness to his downfall, to be present, to love him.

But must she accept the fate that awaits him?This is a mother’s tale. A true story, told through her eyes, of her journey to save her son, who did not want to be saved.

Hope is the beacon that drives her forward, that compels her to fight, to never give up on her golden boy. This is the account of a dark time, his life gripped in the talons of addiction.

So many details etched into my brain, so many forever lost in the fog of fear and anxiety. From the depths of despair, hope was the beacon that compelled me to fight for a child who would not, could not fight for himself.

Fumbling and clueless, I take on the mission to bear witness, to be present. It’s a universal story for all of us who find ourselves helpless in the face of the virulent disease of addiction, destroying our families and robbing us of our loved ones.

My journey begins with the decision to drive from Florida to New England to be with my son for his court hearing. He has violated probation several times and is expected to be sentenced to jail.

My plan is to be there for him, to love him. I plan to be in court when he is taken into custody.