Homeless drug addict, 43, who was taking 20 bags of heroin and crack a DAY and lost his leg when living on the streets has been totally transformed after spending just one month at a shelter
- Mark entered Cotton Street shelter in Liverpool a month ago to save his life
- And after just four weeks in the centre he already looks completely different
- Mark cut drug use down by 90 per cent and is now dreaming of better future
A homeless drug addict who was taking 20 bags of heroin and crack a day and lost his leg while living on the streets has been totally transformed after spending just a month in a shelter.
Mark, 43, who did not give his surname, entered the Cotton Street shelter in Liverpool a month ago in a bid to stay alive and deal with his devastating drug addiction.
His drug habit had already cost him his leg and he feared it would soon cost him his life. But after just four weeks in the centre, run by Signature Living, he has already started to turn his life around and looks completely different.
Mark, 43, who did not give his surname, entered the Cotton Street shelter in Liverpool a month ago in a bid to stay alive and deal with his devastating drug addiction. He is seen shortly after arriving at the shelter (left) and in a more recent photo (right)
Mark has cut his drug use down by 90 per cent and is now dreaming of a better future – and a new leg.
Speaking to Signature boss Lawrence Kenwright, he said: ‘One of the reasons I came here was to stop my drug use.
‘I was using 10 to 12 bags of heroin and crack a day each – I’m now down to one bag of each a day. I’ve managed that in just four weeks.
‘There’s a photo of me four weeks ago with my big beard and long hair – now I feel good, I’ve got people coming up to me saying I look good – which gives me that bit more confidence. I feel safe here.
‘I’m happy here because I feel like there are opportunities in front of me.
‘Opportunities to get my life back to normal and not wake up of a morning wondering who I am going to score off. I want to wake up and think I’ve got to get to work.’
Mark said he would previously beg on the streets of Liverpool every single day – but reckons he has only begged around six times in the past month.
As well as cutting out the drugs, Mark’s major goal is to get a prosthetic leg to replace the one he lost.
He said: ‘That is the one thing that keeps me going, knowing that I’m going to walk again. That is a big, big thing.’