After 36 Years Addicted, Liza Now Coaches Others to Recovery

Liza Ronald stood before 160 people at a Lexington fundraiser and shared a story of stunning transformation. The woman who spent 36 years trapped in addiction is now the person helping others find their way out.

Ronald's struggle began at 15 when she started drinking. For more than three decades, she battled alcoholism, opioid use disorder, and stimulant use disorder, eventually losing everything.

Five years ago, she moved from Ohio to Lexington and hit rock bottom. "I felt like I was in a foreign land I was not used to my surroundings," she told the crowd.

But rock bottom became her turning point. Ronald left a toxic relationship, walked through the doors of Voices of Hope, and began rebuilding her life one day at a time.

"I don't know where my life would be if they were not there, it's been life changing for me," Ronald said. The recovery center that saved her became the place where she discovered her new calling.

Today, Ronald works as a recovery coach at Voices of Hope. She uses her hard-won wisdom to guide others through the same darkness she escaped.

Why This Inspires

Ronald's journey shows that no amount of time lost to addiction is too much to overcome. Her transformation from patient to coach demonstrates how recovery doesn't just restore lives, it multiplies hope.

This week, Ronald takes her skills to Saint Joseph's East Hospital, where she'll continue coaching as part of Voices of Hope's expanding reach. Her story inspired the nonprofit's 10th annual fundraiser, which hopes to raise $40,000 to keep serving the 300 people who seek help each week.

Gary Biggers, a leader at Voices of Hope, says the funding supports everything from programming to keeping the lights on. While opioid use has decreased in the area, methamphetamine cases are rising, making the center's work more critical than ever.

"We are just trying to tackle one issue at a time and try to do our best to help individuals," Biggers said.

For Ronald, each person she coaches represents a chance to pass forward the gift she received: proof that change is real.