US woman overcomes drug addiction and graduates from university, shares remarkable journey

A woman from Washington, who was addicted to heroin after getting started on drugs at the age of six, shared her remarkable journey to turn her life around and graduate from university. While speaking to KOMO-TV, Virginia 'Ginny' Burton said that she battled her way back from the brink and has now made a success of herself after some serious dark times. The 48-year-old revealed that she was first introduced to drugs when she was given cannabis as a six-year-old and by 23 she was addicted to heroin. 

Burton said that she battled homelessness and spent time in prison. She even resorted to stealing cars, robbing drug dealers at gunpoint to feed their addiction and even shot someone. However, she later took the decision to sort herself out and graduate from the University of Washington in Seattle. Now, after battling her way through the notorious lifestyle she has a degree in Political Science. 

Briefing her motivational journey on Facebook, Burton shared two photographs of herself. One showed her at the height of her addiction and the other showed her wearing a university cap and gown. The stark difference between the two images shows her remarkable journey. In the caption, she even urged everyone to “stop selling yourself short”. 

The caption read, “How about that for motivation? I honestly thought I'd die on a park bench with a needle in my arm or by gunshot to the head. I would've never in a million years thought my life would look the way it does today”. 

“Stop selling yourself short. You don't know what tomorrow might bring so you might consider starting today,” it added. 

'Inspiration to others'

The encouraging post has won people’s hearts and garnered more than 7,500 shares, over 5,000 reactions and more than 600 comments. One user wrote, “Wow!! This is AMAZING!! What a life you’ve created for yourself!! Congrats!! This is the most inspiring and impressive transformation I think I’ve ever seen”. Another added, “Incredible transformation. Congratulations, you are an inspiration”. 

Meanwhile, in the following post, Burton said that she hopes and aspires to help others recover from the horrors of drug addiction. She added: "No one is disposable. You don't have to die in addiction. You can stop using, lose the desire, and find a new way to live. There are so many of us out here willing to help”. She explained how her journey had been “not graceful” but “beautiful” and - at the same time - tremendously painful.

(Image: Facebook)