Tristn was my stepson. His first five years were filled with unimaginable trauma and when he was 7 I married his mother. I used to joke that I was buying the rights to Tristn and his sister, Kerrie, on the installment plan. Addiction and trauma surrounded Tristn from day one. He was a tough little kid who never seemed to need help but buried the trauma deep down. As an adolescent and young adult Tristn struggled with addiction. I put him in counseling, offered supports and drew some important boundary lines. He went into rehab and came out looking at a future. All of us felt he was on the right path. A few months later he slipped again, struggled to come back. We believed he would make it. After a dental surgery he used the pain as an excuse to relapse one last time. Because the pills were laced with fentanyl, it was his last time. On Feb. 4th, 2021 at the age of 22, we lost him.
The devastating effects of losing a child cannot be expressed. It was something I decided there and then I wanted to try and prevent any time I could. So, we focused our efforts on moving my mental health practice into a non-profit structure so that we could begin offering supports across the board regardless of someone’s ability to pay. Our fees are income based for that reason. Addiction is a symptom of deeper issues. We treat those issues at The Tristn Jevon Center For Recovery even if addiction is not at play. We treat trauma, so that others can be set free the way we wish Tristn had time for.
We would be honored to help you too.
Robert Cox, LPC – Founder/Executive Director
