Bree-Anna’s Story
My childhood began quite differently than most. When I was eight months old, I was diagnosed with leukemia. Growing up, the hospital was my home. My dad and I lived in the Ronald McDonald House, while my mum looked after my siblings.
By nine years old, after undergoing chemotherapy, I had beaten cancer.
A little later in life, things took another dip. My friendship circles evolved, and I found myself surrounded by addicts – then I began using drugs myself. In my early twenties, I was in active addiction, living in my community housing rental with a boyfriend. Over time, the relationship became controlling and violent. Without me even realising, he closed off my relationships with the outside world. I barely saw family or friends for a year. I became very isolated.
One day, the police arrived at our property, and he managed to convince them that I was the aggressor. I was arrested and taken to gaol. In court, I stood up and told my story – and the charges against me were dismissed. Despite this, my tenancy with community housing was ended. I was removed with no exit plan, feeling let down by the system.
My lawyer called local services, trying to find help, which is when I learned about Catherine House. After a period of couch surfing, whilst still living with my addiction, I rang Catherine House again and they said, “We have a room for you – it’ll be available on Monday”. From that day, everything changed. For the first time in a long time, everything aligned for me, and I thought, “I’m going to be able to get sober”.
My first day at Catherine House was a little daunting. From my time growing up in the hospital, to overcrowded and dangerous living situations later in life, I felt like I never truly had a moment to myself. The minute I walked upstairs and was shown my room, things changed for me. It was like a breath of fresh air. I thought, “Oh my God, I’m safe. This is my space”.
I slept a lot the first few days. I needed to recover; I was so exhausted. It wasn’t long until I started developing connections, attending courses and making the most of my time in the house. I completed the Live Your Best Life & Plan for Your Future educational course, and even came back as a guest speaker to help inspire other women.
After a few months at Catherine House, I had the opportunity to move into a share-house, but I didn’t think I was ready. I decided to ask for more help, which I’m proud of doing. I moved out of the Crisis Accommodation Service, into Catherine House’s longer-term Recovery Program.
I knew I wanted to remain sober and continue working on my confidence in living independently. There have been times when it’s been difficult. Some days I felt like pulling my hair out, thinking “I can’t do this anymore, I can’t keep showing up, I just want to hide”. But I just kept showing up for myself every day, and that’s what mattered.
I work closely with my case worker, and I have started developing a lifestyle that’s so different from my earlier years. I know that the staff at Catherine House genuinely care about me. Sometimes I think, “If I hadn’t been loved back to life, I don’t know how I would’ve gotten through it”.
I had so much going on for me that I didn’t know how to admit it to someone. I’m so grateful to be surrounded by role models; it’s changed how I see people, and how I communicate.
I’m in an environment where I can flourish. It sort of feels like a domino effect on my life, improving in every aspect. At Catherine House, I know I always have someone in my corner, and I know I can ask for help when I need it. I have faith that if I fall down, I’m always going to get back up.
I’m 12 months sober now, and I recently got a job. I’m supporting people on the NDIS who use a wheelchair. I love it. I have opportunities, and I like being part of a team again. I’m slowly building up my hierarchy of needs. At the moment, I’m saving up enough money to go on a holiday to Queensland, to visit my dad.
I’d like to study again in the future – believe it or not, I want to go back to the hospital, as an enrolled nurse. I spent so much time there as a child, to return and be able to give back – it’s something I don’t want to give up on.