"My mother had custody of my son from the time he was born because I had drug and alcohol problems. I wanted to be a part of his life, but I knew I couldn't if I was still doing the same things. Plus, I didn't want him to see me like that. I had to be a better person. He was three years old when I got clean, and I've been clean ever since. I've worked hard on connecting with him. The more I'm around him and the more things I do with him, the more I'm able to bridge that gap. He's eight years old now, and we're both going to counseling."