SAN ANTONIO – KSAT is continuing to follow the journey of a mother as she battles addiction and continues to build a new life her for and her newborn daughter.
You may not recognize Crystal Gutierrez when you see her smiling, laughing or crying.
"These are happy tears because I'm clean," Gutierrez said.
Addiction, motherhood, and a chance at redemption
Gutierrez is living at a home dedicated to treating women with addictions. She went there after the delivery of her baby.
"I'm learning I feel statements. I feel amazing. I feel fantastic," Gutierrez said.
Gutierrez cried when we looked at her first interview with us.
"I'm thinking that God has given me a second chance," Gutierrez said.
While she remains in the Methadone program, too, she has learned of old places she can’t go back to.
"It hurts me because it’s all that I know, but if it’s going to make me healthier to set boundaries and keep me in my sobriety then I have to," Gutierrez said.
Recovery program helps heroin-addicted mother following birth of baby
Every day is a struggle for Gutierrez, but her children are her motivation. "I tell myself every day, I’m going to leave, I’m going to leave, but I’m still here and it's been 7 days," she said.
Her family visits her every week.
"She wants to come home, but I told her she needs to complete and stay there," Lucia Cortez, Gutierrez's mother said.
Gutierrez’s baby, Serenity, is not having strong symptoms, but is checked every six months.
New mom, baby deal with heroin addiction issues
She hopes to finish this program by November and land a job to support her family.
