One year clean, Chris Burke is lying on a chair while tattoo artist Cody Blevins of Enchanted Images Tattoo Service, in Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania etches the phrase “One day at a time” into Burke’s right arm to mark the anniversary.

Owner Kathleen “Kat” Day offers a free tattoo to recovering addicts to show her support for their achievement — with one requirement. The prospective customer must present a one-year chip or ribbon from a 12-step program to receive service. For those with less than a year, a discounted tattoo is offered.

For the past year, Burke has spent his time working a 12-step program and going to meetings multiple times a week. He also started the Facebook page “It Needs to Stop,”  where people with addictions and in recovery can come for help and support.

In this business, like in most, Day has seen her share of artists lose their career, family and children due to their addiction.

“I have gotten to see this up close and personal,” Day said. “I have seen the devastation it wreaks on the addict, their family and their children. Then, even when they find sobriety, they can’t get a job and people treat them poorly, so we wanted to do something to acknowledge their change, their success, offer them love and support.”

Thus began the tattoos for sobriety program.

Day has befriended many of her clean clients.

“I offer them trust. I want them to know someone is enthusiastic about their sobriety and help them to be proud of themselves,” she said.

Admiring his finished tattoo, Burke’s smile is beaming with pride. Unlike a photo he carried from a year ago, his look is healthy and his eyes are bright. He has a future to look forward to. Hopefully school, a career helping others with addiction and continuing to be the father he is supposed to be.

Reflecting on his past, Burke, of Sunbury, Pennsylvania, admitted that it all started innocently enough.

“I was brought up in a good family with parents who were married for 37 years,” he said.

 “I started drinking at 13, then doing drugs. When I was 23, my father got sick, so I took care of him 24/7 for eight years,” Burke said. In addition to caring for him, Burke also became addicted to his father’s pain medication.

When his father died, the passing led to mourning, which led to depression, which led to a new drug: heroin.

Having gained custody of his young son, who was born in 2009 in the midst of his father’s illness, Burke finally realized it was time to get clean.

“I went to rehabilitation for the first time in January 2015,” Burke said.

He quickly spiraled back into his heroin addiction, and then to burglary to pay for his drugs. By April of last year, he was sitting in jail. Despite his situation, he said it’s thanks to adult probation which gave him a chance to get his life back.

Most importantly, “I’m now able to be the parent I am supposed to be,” he said.

He can now care for his son’s needs and does “regular” parenting things like attend soccer games and school events.

Day hopes people will rethink their view of those in recovery.

“If you think about it, addiction does not always mean illegal,” she said. “It’s anything that throws your life out of balance: gambling, drinking, shopping, eating.”

As for Burke, he is grateful to now have a permanent daily reminder that all he has to do is get through one day at a time. And he is thankful for his family and friends and their support that have made that happen for the last year.

Cochran writes for The Sunbury, Pennsylvania Daily Item.