Born to a drug-dealing mother, a Seattle woman started using drugs at age 6 and became addicted to meth by the time she was 12. She has since shown off her unbelievable transformation from hopeless addict to college graduate.
As one of seven children, Ginny Burton was born in Tacoma, Washington to a drug-addicted, drug-dealing, mentally ill mother. At the age of 4, her father had been sentenced to prison for a series of armed robberies. When her mother gave her a hit of marijuana at age 6, Ginny didn’t stand a chance of having a normal childhood.
Ginny’s young life continued to spiral. KOMO reported that she was using meth regularly by age 12 and was smoking crack cocaine by age 14. Tragically, she was raped when she was just 16 by one of her mom’s buyers, leading to her first suicide attempt a year later at age 17. She eventually got pregnant, only for the baby’s father to die in a shooting. When she did marry, the abusive relationship was the perfect excuse to try other drugs. By age 23, she was an out-of-control heroin addict.
Ginny lived a life of constant turmoil, robbing drug dealers at gunpoint to support her addiction. She perpetuated the chaos her mother did, failing to care for her own two children and watching as they were removed from her home. Luckily, this was the necessary catalyst.
Ginny went to state prison three times before she decided to get clean. After her final release from prison, she managed to stay sober for six months before relapsing and getting arrested again. She begged the judge to send her to a drug program, and the court obliged.
Ginny got clean while in the program and vowed to never touch another illegal substance again. Already in her 40s, she started taking classes at South Seattle College with kids half her age. Soon, she was accepted to the University of Washington and began studying political science.
During this time, her husband and fellow addict, Chris Burton, was released from prison. The pair reconciled and promised to hold each other accountable.
Now in her 50s, Ginny has spent much of her time helping addicts overcome their drug abuse. She wants to pass on her wisdom and hope to those in the same situation she conquered.
Ginny credits the major turning point with the tough love the officers and judges showed her, holding her accountable for her bad choices.
Although Ginny has more than a decade of sobriety under her belt, she knows that temptation is always lurking around every corner. With the help of her husband and her friends, she is confident that her life will remain drug-free.
Ginny Burton is living proof that life can get better for even the most lost addict. We hope her story inspires others to take back their lives and live every day with freedom and purpose.
