How one woman went from homeless to blushing bride

Apr 19 2009 by Catherine Lillington, Sunday Mercury

“But you end up with drugs taking over you and your life becomes miserable every day to the point of not wanting to live. You don’t have control over drugs.

“And there’s no joy. There was one thing I remember on drugs – I never laughed.

“In the end I forgot what it was like to laugh and even enjoy the little things.”

But, despite all the chaos in her life, Gaby said she remembers clearly the day she turned her life around.

It was by coming to Birmingham to get help from the religious charity Betel of Britain.

She said: “It was in 2000. I hid out for days before I finally made the break and got on a train to Birmingham and left behind my life on the streets of Kings Cross.

“I had heard about Betel and went to their branch in Northfield. I felt accepted and loved. I planned just to stay two weeks but realised I had so much more I needed to deal with. I was told God loves me and there was a hope.”

It was while she was in Birmingham that Gaby met her husband-to-be Lee, 32, who, like her, overcame an addiction to drugs. The pair were married in Nottingham in 2004.

Together they have a daughter, Christina, two, and a son, Ethan, one.

Today Gaby and Lee run a branch of the charity in Watford, helping others like them.

“I always thought I was going to be an addict,” said Gaby. “Now I have a family, I run a centre with my husband and we’re entrusted with things. Before we couldn’t have even been trusted with £10.

“We really want to enjoy our kids – they’re beautiful. We look at them and just think they’re miracles.

“We remember what we’ve been through and we just think it’s a miracle we’ve been given such beautiful kids that bring us joy.”