103/365 - Ryan Roe, Lombard Street, Dublin.
Ryan is 27 but has a life tougher than most will ever know. His parents were only children themselves when they had him, just 15 & 17. They brought Ryan up in a house where he was surrounded by drug use and other harmful situations.
But Ryan made a decision early on not to let his challenges define him. He worked hard, attended school and got his leaving cert.
However, after years of battling just to live a normal life, he got himself caught up in a world he always tried to avoid.
He sits here with me today and speaks so proudly and passionately but with lots of humility too, he knows that without the help of his grandparents and extended family, and even his school teachers, his life could have taken a very dark path.
He’s an incredibly brave young man who has been clean and sober since September. Each day he tries to be a good role model for his younger siblings, so that they know how much they can accomplish in life.
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