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Family and friends of 21 graduates of 3rd District drug court on Wednesday shared messages of hope and encouragement to others fighting to overcome addictions.
The 21 six juveniles were honored at the Matheson Courthouse for successfully completing drug treatment.
Each year, the Family Dependency Drug Court serves about 140 parents. The Juvenile Drug Court works with about 65 youth. About 60 percent of parents and juveniles who enter both drug courts successfully complete it. And of those parent success stories, more than 90 percent are reunited with their children, according to statistics provided by the 3rd District Court.
Many said their battles for sobriety will be life-long, but beamed as they successfully reached the significant milestone of completing drug court.
"You chose to not let your problem, your particular set of problems defeat you," Matthew B. Durrant, chief justice of the Utah Supreme Court, told the standing room only crowd.
Angela Mardini's journey to sobriety has been a long one. The West Jordan resident said she ended up in jail in 2010 and lost custody of her two girls. Mardini said that was her rock bottom.
By her graduation Wednesday, Mardini said she had regained custody of her 5- and 3-year-old girls, obtained employment at Valley Mental Health as a peer counselor and changed her life. She shares her story of addiction to marijuana and pills with other women in recovery and around the community to raise awareness.
"Going and graduating is an amazing experience for me and my kids," she said. "There's a light at the end of the tunnel, and if I can do it they can do it."
Mardini said she'll be back in court for the last time Thursday so the judge can close out her criminal case.
Wednesday's graduation wasn't an easy road for one 17-year-old. He said it took him a 1½ years to reach his success. But his mother, a recovering methamphetamine addict who has been sober now for 15 years, inspired him.
As his family and friends cheered him on, he walked to the front to accept his graduation diploma. He'll celebrate his 18th birthday Friday.
The teen said he was so addicted to marijuana he would do the same things to obtain marijuana that people would do for meth or heroin.
"Drug addiction is probably one of the worst things in this life," he said.
People facing addictions shouldn't be afraid to ask for help, the teen said. He knows people may be judgmental, but said those seeking and achieving sobriety shouldn't ever be ashamed.
"I had a drug problem, but look where I am now," he said.
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