#40 Addicted at 12 and Saved at 20 - Hunter Mercurio

4 ½ months clean and sober and attending Narcotics Anonymous meetings, 20 year old Hunter Mercurio has seen a lot in his young life.  Hunter came from a broken family, with parents who tried swinging that led to separating.  He turned to drinking at age 12, lost his virginity at 13 and was doing drugs and in and out of mental hospitals soon after.  Join us for Hunter’s compelling testimony and allow him to inspire you as he inspired us.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” - Romans 8:1

Hunter began drinking at 12 when he started taking beers from his father’s refrigerator.

At 13 years old Hunter lost his virginity because he was looking for love.

At age 14 Hunter went into a mental hospital for the first of 4 times because he was suicidal.

Hunter came from a broken home with parents who tried swinging that led to separating.  He found his mom cheating on his father with a family friend Jeff.  

Hunter grew up very angry with God.  He began stealing and stole Jeff’s ring right before Jeff was diagnosed with ALS and the guilt was overwhelming.

His senior year in high school, Hunter met Ann.  She was a church goer and Hunter pursued her.

During this time he was a football player, but his addiction to opiates and marijuana was couldn’t be stopped and Ann broke up with him.  This drove Hunter to smoking xanax and drinking heavily; he just couldn’t accept that he messed up his relationship with Ann.

Hunter went back to selling pounds of marijuana, but addicts always become their own biggest buyer.  Soon he was in debt to bad people and his life was threatened.

Hunter got an opportunity to play football at Orange Coast, but fell back into doing drugs.  He began to spiral when he tried to balance addiction with football.  Went to a hospital 7 times from anxiety of coming down from drugs.

Soon he realized something was wrong inside him and he started hearing voices telling him the world was going to end.  Hunter called his dad and said “I’m coming home I hope I live”.  His dad called Steven Vandruff who reached out to Hunter to meet at Wahoo’s.

Most Influential Man - Michael Medneck came to Wahoo’s that night with Steven and took Hunter into his home to live with his family.

Now Hunter is taking life day by day and has plans to move out of Michael’s house at 6 months sober and wants to work towards being a personal trainer.

Recommended Book - “A Purpose Driven Life” - Rick Warren

GMOI - Constantly work on where you’re weak and share your struggles.  

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