Lee Anne - "Byron's Story"
Story brought to you in partnership with our friends at Mercy’s MSU Care Clinic
Photo by Randy Bacon
My brother, Byron, was a chronic alcoholic. I’ve lost count but he went through around five medical detoxes. It was a lifelong issue for him. After a detox we would work to get resources or a place to go afterwards and none of that would really stick. He ended up in a program at Victory Square and did great. Through that program he got connected with MSU Care and that was key. He started going there regularly and had relationships with folks and the doctor there and that was a huge boost for his sobriety. He was getting care from people that cared about him. Even so, his sobriety was on and off. He didn’t stay with Victory Square, but he got involved with Restoration Hope and that was through the O’Reilly Center for Hope. And so, Restoration Hope is where he really thrived in conjunction with MSU and just became a person I hadn’t known before. He is a nice guy and even drinking he was a nice guy but to know him without the alcohol piece was so different.
He continued on that program and did really well. He got a job. Byron was also a felon, and it was always hard to put himself out there. When you are a felon, you know you're going to get refusal. But one day he walked into a restaurant, and he walked out with a job. He was their dishwasher. He had good relationships and a support system within his job, and with his family. Byron ended up living in sober housing through Restoration Hope and then got independent enough to get an apartment on his own. It was a love-hate relationship with him because he was tired of being with all of these guys at the sober living facility, but it was kind of isolating to move into an apartment after that. I think he wasn’t super pleased about it. He never smoked and people in his apartment smoked. He was conservative, not someone to use foul language or things like that. But that was him.
Photo by Randy Bacon
He did thrive. There was a shift and then it just built. He was with Restoration Hope in that program and had great support through that program from awesome people. He really attracted some awesome folks who supported them, but he was also a delight to be around. He had a good sense of humor and was great at sharing experiences. It was really delightful that he knew he always had a place to fall back on with me, and I was going to be there no matter what. He would always have a place to stay, and I made sure that he had that with no conditions. I was available to help him get around and go where he needed to. His daughter got married last week and it’s terrible to think that he didn’t get to walk her down the aisle and be present with her for all the “firsts”. He was trying to take some dance lessons. He passed away on my birthday and we didn’t know about it for a couple of days. There were great things on the horizon. You know it was fun. We had good times. Sober good times. But sadly, that’s the story of my brother who was an alcoholic that died at 56. He had worn out his body.
“For many in our community, routine doctor visits and prescription medications are far too expensive to access. Every day, people are forced to choose between food and medication or delay treatment for health issues until they are life threatening due to an inability to pay. MSU and Mercy partnered together to break the cycle of poor health and offer hope for the uninsured in our community. The only clinic of its kind in Missouri, the MSU Care Clinic offers uninsured patients top-quality primary care and prescription medications completely free of charge. We know every story—every person—has tremendous value. That is why at MSU Care, we are proud to give compassionate care and exceptional service at no charge to those in the greatest need.”
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