An addicted man’s journey to freedom and sobriety.
The cell floor was cold, but not as cold as the man laying upon it. Trying to distract himself from the chills, and nonexistent worms he felt crawling under his skin, he did what he had not done in a long time. He opened a bible and read. Rock bottom looks different for everyone. His rock bottom was withdrawing off heroin in a jail cell. Every minute controlled him fully as he was consumed by the pain. Time moved slower than it had ever before. His road ahead would be far from easy. He did not know it then, but the choices he made would not always keep him trapped, but eventually free him. Free from addiction, free from the chains and the ghosts of his past; Daniel Ford would smile again in the sun with a whole new purpose.
A photo of Daniel Ford before he entered Teen Challenge.
Heroin: The Addiction that Sneaks Up on You
Daniel Ford, now 30 years old, grew up outside of Trenton, New Jersey. He was first introduced to drugs when partying, only using them recreationally. When he was 22 years old, he used heroin for the first time. Slowly but surely, it began to control him in a way no other drug did.
Heroin, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, is an opioid drug made from morphine that induces feelings of euphoria. About 25 percent of people who try heroin will become addicted. Users’ initial high lasts about four to six hours. As users build up a tolerance, the high fades after two to four hours. Another “fix” becomes desired, and an addiction is born.
A Wake-Up Call: Getting Arrested
When recalling the events that led up to his arrest, Ford said, “I was bound by my addiction, and when you are bound by it, you do whatever you can possibly think of to get high at the time”.
Ford and his friends would rob from Lowe’s and Home Depot. They would take the stolen items to another location to receive store credit. They pawned the store credit to get money to fulfill their “fix”. Eventually, Ford got caught stealing in Lowe’s and was arrested. He was released on his own recognizance, also known as ROR, promising to appear in court the following week.
On a Friday morning, after Ford had missed his court date, him and his friends were stopped by police for walking on the wrong side of the highway. Knowing there was a warrant for his arrest, he fled the police while his friend distracted them. He did not get very far before he was caught, arrested, and brought to jail.
The Aftermath His Family Found
After Ford’s arrest, his landlord called his parents telling them his lease was being terminated due to drug activity. They were sure this must have been a mistake. They went to his apartment and what they found was straight out of a movie.
“The horrendous condition of our son’s apartment brought a wave of despair as we realized that he was a hardcore drug addict. It was like the worst crack house, as depicted in movies, with filth, clogged up toilets and sinks, and empty drug vials everywhere” detailed Donald Ford, Ford’s father.
Ford’s family was blindsided by his addiction and they were not the only ones. Derek James, his father-in-law, agrees, “Our son also struggled with a drug addiction. We knew he had a problem but did not understand the extend of it. We were blinded by our love.”
Finding Hope Behind Bars from a Pastor
Ford woke up one morning in jail to hear he had a visitor. He assumed to find his parents in the room waiting for him. Instead, he found his childhood pastor. Pastor Parenti, who was dealing with acute heart problems at the time, saw visiting Ford in jail as a priority.
After finding the drugs and needles in their son’s apartment, Donald and Carol Ford called their good friend. “We sat outside in our truck and called our former Pastor and longtime friend, Anthony Parenti. He said that he would visit Daniel and talk to him about the Teen Challenge program. He advised us to not talk to Daniel, not visit him, or bail him out.”
Pastor Parenti struggled with his own heroin addiction decades prior. Teen Challenge was the program that saved his life.
Parenti recalled his visit with Ford in jail. “One of the first things he did was show me the track marks on his arm from main-lining heroin. I could relate and empathize with him. Prior to my conversion to Christianity, I was enslaved to heroin for many years.”
After a couple visits and some convincing, Ford agreed to go to Teen Challenge. Behind the scenes, Pastor Parenti made the calls to make that happen, “I called several Teen Challenge centers on the East Coast and ultimately found favor with a program in Fort Myers, Florida.”
Soon, Ford found himself picked up from his parents and on his way to Florida for a new life.
Daniel Ford and his parents, Donald and Carol Ford, when they dropped him off at Teen Challenge.
What is Teen Challenge?
Teen Challenge is a faith-based rehabilitation center that ministers to adults and teens struggling with addiction. The main difference between Teen Challenge and traditional recovery centers is their faith focus. The program is 12 months and teaches students how to overcome addiction through their faith in God.
Teen Challenge vs. Traditional Rehabilitation Centers Success Rates
Teen Challenge has a 70 percent success rate while traditional drug rehabilitation centers have a 3-10 percent success rate, according to NIDA.
One of Ford’s best friends, Justin Niczyporowicz, also struggled with a heroin addiction. Justin went to a traditional rehabilitation center during the same time Ford was in Teen Challenge. This was Justin’s fourth stint in rehab. Unfortunately, in February 2018, he found out Justin died from an overdose following his rehab release.
A photo of Daniel Ford’s best friend Justin Niczyporowicz.
This photo was posted to Niczyporowicz ‘s Facebook in 2013.
When asked why he thought Teen Challenge was so successful, Ford expressed, “Secular programs teach you that you’re always going to have a problem. You are not really overcoming it because you always believe that you will have this problem for the rest of your life. Teen Challenge teaches you that you can be set free from the bondage of addiction.”
Life in Teen Challenge
Teen Challenges gives hope for a life after addiction, not how to live a life with addiction. The program is far from easy and teaches its’ students discipline and order.
“It is a very militant and strict program,” explained Ford. He gave examples of some of these rules. “Rules are set in place to teach us discipline. We could only have 21 hangers and we had to fold our clothes a certain way or we would get written up.”
Teen Challenge’s website talks about breaking students down so they can rebuild themselves with God at the center.
The staff at Teen Challenge are also past graduates. “It helps create a support system without judgement” said Steve Merrill, another graduate of Teen Challenge. “You know that everyone in the room has been where you are.”
A Clean Slate
Ford was in jail for three weeks before his parents brought him to Teen Challenge. This was a glimpse into the future he was headed toward. At 26 years old, he had five felony charges and a misdemeanor. These charges included larceny, shoplifting, possession of heroin, and possession of needles.
Nine months into his program, Ford got a notice that he needed to be in court. His lawyer was able to stand for him in court stating he was in a yearlong rehabilitation program. The judge then court ordered him to finish Teen Challenge.
Ford entered Teen Challenge with a warrant out for his arrest but graduated 12 months later with a clean record. His charges were dropped and expunged from his record.
“Miracles are real because I am a walking miracle.” Ford risked his life every time he put a needle in his arm. He believes that him being alive and out of prison is a miracle.
Old Crowd vs. New Brotherhood
“Unfortunately, Daniel got involved with the wrong crowd which ultimately led to his heroin addiction”, stated Pastor Parenti. Many addicts attribute their crowd to what introduced them to drugs. Getting clean from drugs also means cleaning house with friends.
“You can’t go back to hanging with your old friends once you get clean or you are more likely to relapse” said James Cox, Ford’s close friend from Teen Challenge. “You leave Teen Challenge with brothers not just friends.”
In Teen Challenge you are with 40 other men all the time. They work together, eat together, shower together, and sleep together. “The comradery is very real,” said Ford, “You watch one another grow and help one another.”
Kevin McAleer, one of Ford’s best friends, said “He is such an awesome man now. He is wise and moves with confidence and honesty in his day-to-day life.”
Christian Geymayr, another close friend, also spoke to Ford’s growth. “He’s become a leader of the house with a good head on his shoulders. Very balanced and has a plan for his life and his family. He’s a great example of what people that enter the program should strive for.”
A post from Kevin McAleer’s Facebook page. The post includes a photo of Daniel Ford, James Cox and Christian Geymayr.
Dan to His Past Self
Ford remembers the person he was when he entered Teen Challenge. “I was 117 pounds. I was always lying and didn’t really care about anybody else. I was very selfish. I would say my addiction hardened me.”
He is a different man today than the boy he was before. When asked what he would say to his past self, “There was always a brighter path that God had laid out for us and we just needed to find it.”
Daniel Ford’s 2018 Teen Challenge Graduation Video from YouTube.
Addiction: Hidden in Plain Sight
21.2 million Americans struggled with addiction in 2018. Opioids were involved in over 46,000 overdose deaths.
“Addiction is an epidemic in America,” explains Ford, “The main cause of addiction are the underlying issues in someone’s life. They want to hide who they are or who they have become. It starts off doing it to clear your head and ends with you needing it to survive.”
Source: Infographic from Teen Challenge’s website
How to Contact Teen Challenge
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, Teen Challenge may be an option. Teen Challenge is donation based. There is no specific overhead for a student to be in Teen Challenge. There are many locations across the country for both men and women. Find one near you with their Location Finder.
Daniel Ford pictured with his niece Hannah Gierman on Panama City Beach.
Life Today
Ford met his now wife, Amanda, through Teen Challenge. “Amanda would come on campus to visit her brother James who is a good friend of mine. I was very smitten on her for a long time. Fast track two years, I mustered up the courage and messaged her.”
The two are now married living in Cape Coral, Florida as first-time homeowners. His wife admits, “I loved Danny the moment he smiled at me on our first date. I don’t care who he was before. Today he is a bright light in everyone’s life.”
When asked what he would say to those struggling with addiction, Dan replied, “Hope is available to anyone that is willing to believe. You are enough and your life matters.”
Daniel Ford and his wife Amanda Ford during their wedding ceremony.
If you have been moved by Daniel Ford’s story and would like to donate Teen Challenge, visit their Support Center. There are many ways to donate; big and small!
