Travis Webb is an art student at Northeast Community College. He was born and raised in Norfolk and had as easy and normal of a childhood as any.  It was after which, however, Webb fell victim to the misfortunes that life can sometimes bring.

He had a solid up-bringing in the Catholic Church, but after a family tragedy (the nature of which is best not mentioned); he began to carry a lot of anger and resentment toward God.

In 1993, Travis Webb began using methamphetamines. After the first time he continued to use it on a daily basis, which triggered a downward spiral of meth addiction for the next 20 years.

“I isolated myself from everyone who loved me and cared about me,” said Webb.

He did everything possible to maintain use; using whatever money he could. He tried nearly every other drug, but his drug of choice was methamphetamines. He became self-destructive, lonely, and eventually he found himself homeless.

Webb had also accumulated some felony charges and was put on probation in 2009. He absconded from probation and was on the run to use as much as he could before he got picked up by the police.

At this point, his family got together and held an intervention for him. This was Webb’s opportunity to get better.

“I just wanted the pain to go away. I wanted relief of some kind.”

He decided that it was time to give up this life he had lived after all of these years because it was the first time anyone had really reached out and tried to help him.

His family contacted the treatment center in Columbus, where he started a 12-step treatment program. His girlfriend at the time, Heidi, had also been using drugs and began treatment in Norfolk at the same time.

Both Webb and Heidi are clean now, and the two of them are engaged.

Travis Webb is continuing to take his college classes, while also doing volunteer work driving for the Disabled American Vets.

Both Webb and Heidi carry the message of recovery; Webb speaks to various people and institutions and Heidi works at the treatment center in Norfolk.

I think this goes to show that no matter how deep of a hole you find yourself in, there is always a way out; you just have to want it bad enough.

If there is anyone out there reading this who may be in the same position that Travis Webb was once in, his advice to you is:

“Evaluate your life and be honest about where you’re at. Reach out, talk to people. There’s help out there, and you’re never alone. It doesn’t have to take 20 years. You don’t have to wait and get the point that I did.”