Lovely Mae Ecalnir

Story of Struggle and Success

My name is Lovely Mae Ecalnir, and I am 38 years old. I came to America when I was 7 yrs old. I am a permanent resident of the United States, and I wanted to take a moment to share my story with you and express my deepest gratitude for the role you've played in my life.

Growing up, my journey was far from easy. I started using drugs at the age of 15, and by the time I was 23, I was in and out of jail for offenses related to substance use and petty theft. My first encounter with the legal system resulted in my children being taken from me. At the time, I had two kids, aged 3 and 1, and I was 4 months pregnant. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) caught up with me, and I ended up in federal custody.

When I got out of federal prison, I was determined to get my life together. I entered rehab for the first time and worked hard to regain custody of my children. In 2012, while in rehab and already a year sober, I gave birth to my third child. That year marked a turning point in my life as I stayed sober for the next eight years.

Unfortunately, in 2019, I slipped back into old patterns. I entered into a relationship with an old friend from my teenage years, and we had two children together. But I relapsed and began using methamphetamine (meth) again. Once more, my children were taken by CPS, and I found myself in a cycle of loss and regret. My older children were living with my mother, so they weren’t taken, but my younger children, just 18 months and 2 weeks old at the time, were removed from my care.

This time, however, I knew things had to be different. I entered residential rehab once again, determined to turn my life around and get my children back. It was there that I met you, Ms. Jackie. You came to Family Recovery Center to talk with us women, sharing your experiences and offering us the strength to believe that change was possible, no matter how difficult our pasts had been. With your support and the guidance of my current sponsor, I made the commitment to stay sober and take the steps necessary to rebuild my life. You also gave me an opportunity to sing the National Anthem at Women Initiating Success Envisioned (WISE) Gala. I was so honored to do this for you, Ms. Jackie.

I’m happy to say that after completing the rehab program, both my partner and I got ourselves into Solutions for Change, and through hard work and faith, we were able to get our children back from CPS. From there, the blessings seemed to flow. I went back to school, my partner found a job, and we were even blessed with a four-bedroom home just in time for the holidays.

Despite the miracles, I was still worried that Christmas wouldn’t be possible this year. With all the new expenses and monthly house payments, I thought we wouldn’t be able to have the Christmas we dreamed of. That’s when I reached out to you, Jackie. I told you how God has blessed us with our new home and how we wanted this be special for the children. You and WISE blessed my family with Christmas cheer. I couldn’t believe it. The presents began to arrive, and each day became more and more real so that, thanks to your kindness, our Christmas was be filled with joy instead of tears.

I cannot express how much your generosity has meant to me and my family. Your love and support have given us a renewed sense of hope and gratitude. This holiday season, we celebrate not only the blessings we have, but the amazing woman who helped make it all possible. Thank you, Ms. Jackie and WISE for showing us the true meaning of love, care, and community. We are forever grateful.

Thanks

Lovely Mae Ecalnir