Born in New Jersey, raised in Virginia, Chet dabbled in drugs when he was a teenager. However, he didn’t become a full-blown heroin addict until he developed a blood borne bacteria in his spinal cord after a dentist visit. They had to break his neck in order to save his life, but in doing so, he lost his mobility and, therefore, his college football scholarship.
For fifteen years he was an active addict, in and out of prison. The tide turned when he had his son and promised him that he would get clean. After doing a drug rehabilitation program in jail, he decided to come to REAL LIFE. That was a year and a half ago; since then he’s become a Peer House Leader in his REAL house and a supervisor at his job renovating houses.
Chet is proud of all of the positive changes that he’s made. He is working on mending some relationships with his family, including his sister. Chet recently was able to bring his son to meet his nephew for the first time. “I’ve come a million miles from where I was with [my family], with my life, with my son, with everything, with myself.”
He loves his current job and hopes to stay in the Richmond area. His son currently lives in Roanoke with his mom and Chet is hoping to purchase a house soon to offer his son the option of coming to live with him in Richmond. When asked about his long-term plans, his answer was simple and powerful: “I just want a roof over my head and my kid.” We are proud of you, Chet. Keep up the great work!
