Cody Bishop’s story went viral after his mother posted before-and-after photos of him in the throes of addiction.
This month, a Missouri mother’s Facebook post went viral, in which she introduced the world to her son who was in the throes of heroin and methamphetamine use disorder. At the time, she had not heard from him for “weeks” and was worried. But since then, things started looking up.
Looking For Her Missing Son
Jennifer Salfen-Tracy of St. Charles County posted two images of her son, Cody Bishop, before and after he succumbed to chronic drug use disorder. In the first photo, Cody appears healthy and is smiling.
In the second photo, he is emaciated. Judging by his appearance, his health was suffering. The difference is dramatic. Salfen-Tracy noted that the photos were taken just seven months apart.
“The face of heroin and meth is a reality for so many people and families in this world today,” Salfen-Tracy wrote in her post. “For my family and friends who know me know that my oldest son Cody Bishop is suffering from his addiction. I am hesitant on sharing but many people ask how things are going so I feel I should share. I have learned along this path that so many people and families deal with the same heartache but just do not talk about it.”
At the time, the Missouri mom urged Cody to reach out to her. She had not heard from him “in weeks now” and only knew that he was “still homeless in Las Vegas.” She wrote, “Hearing how bad he is doing is hard but not hearing at all is worse.”
Her story, first shared by 5 On Your Side, was shared nearly 70,000 times on Facebook alone. It also caught the attention of major media outlets like Today and Newsweek.
Cody Enters Rehab After Viral Post
At some point, Salfen-Tracy updated her post announcing that “Cody Bishop has been found and [is] currently in a rehab facility where he is starting his road to recovery.”
She provided a link to a Facebook page chronicling his recovery journey, Cody Bishop’s Road to Recovery. Anyone can view the page and see any updates, including a video clip of when Cody was found.
“He said he is doing okay, but feeling pretty sick,” Salfen-Tracy wrote on Monday. “He wants me to pass on that he has high hopes and is going to fight his fight! I know this battle is going to be the hardest of his life.”
On Tuesday, she gave another update. “He sounds so much better today and more like his goofy crazy self! It sounds so good to have him on the road to being himself again!”
The page has invited a flood of supportive comments from onlookers.