A grandmother who spent 15 years on meth now looks unrecognisable after finally getting clean.
Shannon Hughes, a 46-year-old resident of Springfield, Missouri, began using methamphetamine when her daughter, Mistena Renteria-Elliot, who is now 26 years old, was just 12.
Shannon, who is now a grandmother-of-two became instantly hooked and Mistina spent years trying to get her mother clean
She took Shannon to sobriety living and paying for her to get a place to stay – but said nothing would work.
In March 2024, Mistena described her mother as being in a terrible condition – Shannon weighed only 105 pounds (equivalent to seven stone), was malnourished, and lived in fear of stepping out of the house.
During a visit to the doctor, they told Mistena that her mother was in the ‘final stages’ of addiction and if she carried on she would die.
From that moment, Shannon made it her mission to help turn her mother’s life around after realising how much she hurt people around her.
Now, nine months sober, Shannon is working a full-time job as a waitress, attends Narcotics Anonymous, and passes frequent drug tests.
Shannon said that people will walk up to her in the supermarket with tears in their eyes and hug her to congratulate her on getting sober.
Shannon Hughes, a 46-year-old woman from Springfield, Missouri, started using methamphetamine when her daughter, Mistena Renteria-Elliot, who is now 26, was only 12 years old after being introduced to the drug by someone.
In March 2024, Mistina said her mother was in a ‘terrible state’ – she weighed 105 pounds, was malnourished and terrified to leave the house
Shannon, who works as a waitress, said: ‘I literally have people come up to me with tears in their eyes, just asking if they can give me a hug.
‘I hear them in the background at the store, hitting each other like ‘that’s her’.
‘Then they come up to me all shy and embarrassed, asking if they can give me a hug.
‘I am always overwhelmed with it, they make me feel better, as it can be embarrassing, they have seen me at my very worst.’
After getting into a new relationship when Mistena was 12-years-old, Shannon started taking methamphetamine.
Two years later, when Mistena was 14-years-old, she was thrown out of the family home and started living with her boyfriend and his family.
Mistena, a stay-at-home mother, from Springfield, Ohio, said: ‘She was getting heavy into the drugs at this point.
‘She would still come to see me, and I would spend the day with her.
‘I have been trying to get my mom clean for 10 years and have done everything I can to get her clean.
‘But nothing ever worked, so I completely gave up on it.’
Between the years 2017 and 2018 until Mistena was 19 years old, she had no contact with her mother.
Now, nine months sober, Shannon is working a full-time job as a waitress, attends Narcotics Anonymous, and passes frequent drug tests
Shannon said that people will walk up to her in the supermarket with tears in their eyes and hug her to congratulate her on getting sober (pictured with Mistena)
Mistena said that when her mother and step dad broke up, her mother got more deeply involved in drugs and earned the nickname of ‘drug lord of Springfield’ because she would supply drugs to people around town.
Mistena said: ‘I started to go back around more, but it was one of those things where I would tell myself that she was not going to bother getting better.
‘I thought she was selfish, and she was going to hurt me.
‘I didn’t want to be taken advantage of. When I had my first daughter, I said I would let her hurt me, but not my kids.’
In March 2023, Mistena went to visit her mother and said she was in a ‘terrible state’.
Shannon’s head was shaved, she would self-harm to ‘stop the voices in her head’ and was scared to leave the house.
Shannon said: ‘The moment that I saw how bad I hurt people that I loved, made me realise I need to change.
‘When you are high, you don’t feel those feelings, you totally become numb, and you cannot associate.
‘It is very important that people who are being hurt by people who are doing drugs understand that the drug user does not know how much they are hurting you.
Between the years 2017 and 2018 until Mistena was 19 years old, she had no contact with her mother (pictured)
In March 2023, Mistena went to visit her mother and said she was in a ‘terrible state’
In July 2024, with the help of her daughter Mistena, Shannon went ‘cold turkey’ and completely stopped taking drugs
Now, her life is transformed; she is able to spend time with her grandchildren, she has her first job and is attending regular Narcotics Anonymous to keep her life on track
‘They cannot feel it, they don’t get it, and they are not going to get it.’
In July 2024, with the help of her daughter Mistena, Shannon went ‘cold turkey’ and completely stopped taking drugs.
Now, her life is transformed; she is able to spend time with her grandchildren, she has her first job and is attending regular Narcotics Anonymous to keep her life on track.
Shannon said: ‘I don’t think I would have ever got to this point if I hadn’t hit a spot where I was deathly afraid of dying.
‘I feel great now, I am working a job that I am holding down.
‘I would never have dreamed in 1000 years that I would be able to get a job because my anxiety was so bad.’
Mistena added: ‘Mom got her first job, I am so proud of her.
‘Having a job has helped her tremendously, she feels like she has a purpose.
‘It is so nice to have a conversation with her, and our relationship is getting better as the weeks go on.’
