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'Drug rehab helped my son turn his life around'

Matt Weigoldand
Becky Measures,BBC Radio Derby
News imageBBC Two women stand either side of two men with a boy in the centre. They are stood in a radio studio with a purple branded display board behind them reading 'BBC Radio Derby.' The woman on the left has a short blonde bob and a cream coat. The man to her right has his arm around her and is dressed in a navy hoodie, blue puffer jacket and has short fair hair. The boy in the centre is peaking his head out from behind the man. The woman on the far right has blonde hair tied back and is wearing a pink jumper, jeans, lanyard and glasses. The man to her left has short dark hair, a white hoodie, black open puffer jacket and dark trousers.BBC
Rachel Kenyon (left) thanked recovery facility, Jericho Centre, for the support they have given her son, Tom, on BBC Radio Derby with Becky Measures (right)

"I never imagined when I gave birth to Tom that he would one day become addicted to drugs."

Rachel Kenyon says her family was left "ripped apart" after her son Tom, now 25, spent a decade of his life smoking marijuana, taking cocaine, ketamine and other recreational drugs from the age of 13.

He dropped to seven stone in weight, was left with permanent damage to his bladder from ketamine abuse and said his self-worth was on the floor.

But Tom has now turned his life around and stopped using drugs after he secured a place in rehab at Jericho House in Derby, which Rachel has thanked "more than words can ever express".

News imageA man and woman sit in a radio studio in front of microphones. The man on the left has short dark hair, a grey hoodie and black puffer jacket. The woman on the right has a fair-haired bob, zebra-print blouse, cream jacket and black glasses. She is reading a letter. The studio is lit with purple lighting and has a large glass panel leading to a production area with office chairs and speakers.
Rachel Kenyon told Neil Ainslie that his Jericho House team had rescued her family from a life of "constant chaos, drama and trauma"

Tom said: "I could never deal with life on life's terms. Every little thing in life I struggled with.

"Opening a letter or paying a bill, that just brought so much fear into my life.

"I had an inability to deal with life. Everything that life threw at me, I couldn't deal with the feelings that life brought up for me. So using drugs was sort of like a coping mechanism.

"It was a form of escapism for me. I was trying to run away from my feelings, trying to run away from all the horrible stuff that comes with life."

At his worst, Tom suffered seizures and developed ketamine-induced cystitis, commonly known as 'ket bladder', an irreversible condition which inflames, ulcerates and shrinks the bladder.

Rachel said she did everything she possibly could to help him.

"We lived in constant chaos, drama and the trauma that addiction brings," she added.

'Ripped the family apart'

After applying daily for six weeks, on 21 February 2024, Tom was given a bed at Jericho House, a nine-bed residential addiction recovery project that provides a holistic approach to drug addiction.

"I will remember that day forever because it changed Tom and our family's life," Rachel said.

Tom stayed at the centre for nine-and-a-half months, stopping all drug-taking from the moment he began the programme.

He also learned life skills and took part in sports, activities and therapy.

"My whole life I've just been searching for something to be part of," Tom said.

"I've always needed validation and Jericho gave me that. They gave me something bigger than me to be part of."

Tom now volunteers as an overnight member of staff at the Jericho Centre and itscommunity-interest company, Sacred Bean Coffee.

He has also secured a paid job supporting exploited young people and formed a band called The Sons of Jericho.

News imageTwo men sit in a radio studio in front of microphones. The man on the left has short dark hair, a grey hoodie and black puffer jacket. The man on the right has short fair hair and is wearing a thick navy coat. A computer screen, digital clock and sound equipment sit on the desk in front of them. The studio is lit with purple lighting and has a large glass panel leading to a production area with office chairs and speakers.
"Jericho House gave me something bigger than me to be part of," said reformed drug-user Tom Kenyon (right)

Centre manager, Neil Ainslie said it was "mind-blowing" to hear the feedback from both Tom and Rachel.

"That's the real wages. We don't get paid much. We're a small charity. That's why we do it. So families are changed," he said.

The recovery facility won the Community Group Award at BBC Derby's Make A Difference Award in 2025.

Public nominations for this year's awards opened on Tuesday.

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