HILL AFB, Utah -- Meet Feliz Weaver, a lead program management analyst for the 309th Aircraft Maintenance Group in the Ogden Air Logistics Complex. She brings 16 years of experience to her role.
Her day job is a world away from the life-altering challenges she has faced. Hailing from Clinton, Utah, her story is one of personal trial, incredible resilience, and the unwavering determination to turn pain into a powerful purpose.
A Family's Darkest Hour
The turning point came in May 2017, on the first day of summer. Her three sons were in a UTV accident that ended with horrific consequences. The vehicle flipped, and while most of the children were thrown clear, her youngest son, then seven, was trapped underneath and dragged for 25 feet, crushing his head.
In what can only be described as a series of miracles, Weaver's sister-in-law, a nurse, witnessed the accident and administered CPR, reviving him. A neighbor, who happened to be a doctor, rushed to the scene with his medical bag. "All we can say is that it was a miracle," Weaver recounted. "All God's timing. It's crazy."
What followed was a harrowing ordeal. Her son was airlifted to the hospital, where he spent three weeks in a coma. The family faced an agonizing decision: disengage life support or authorize procedures that might leave him in a vegetative state. Compounding the trauma, Weaver was also navigating her husband's severe alcoholism, which had spiraled in the wake of the accident. "Not only was I dealing with my kid dying, but also my husband’s struggle with addiction," she shared.
The Path to Healing
The family chose to give their son a chance. Days after surgery to repair his facial bones, he began to move. The second month in the hospital was spent re-learning to walk, eat, and talk. Though he is now deaf in one ear, blind in one eye, and manages a rare form of diabetes, he survived. Today, the once-shy boy is a friendly and outgoing 18-year-old.
Simultaneously, Weaver sought counseling to cope with the codependency that had developed from her husband's addiction. As she learned to establish boundaries, her husband hit rock bottom and finally chose to enter rehab. His path wasn't linear—it included a brief relapse—but with blunt counseling and a renewed commitment, he dedicated himself to sobriety.
Building a Movement from a YouTube Channel
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, shutting down in-person support groups, the couple saw a need. They launched a YouTube channel called "Recovering Addict," going live every night to share their story and offer support. " We’ll talk about our recovery journey, my addiction and your experience dealing with it," her husband proposed. The channel quickly gained thousands of followers from around the world, creating a global community for those in recovery.
A New Beginning: The "Recovering Addict" Nonprofit
Inspired by their online success, Weaver and her husband founded a nonprofit to provide free, long-term support for those struggling with addiction in their local community. They established Recovering Addict, a relapse prevention center in Ogden, Utah, housed within the Iron House gym—a business they co-own.
Their unique model combines intense physical workouts with bio-psycho-social-spiritual guidance. "Research proves that exercising paired with therapeutic counseling works." Weaver explained, noting that exercise can have a similar effect on the brain as certain trauma therapies.
The program runs three nights a week and is intentionally free and long-term, a stark contrast to the limited 30, 60, or 90-day programs dictated by insurance. "Ours is long-term," she stated. "They can stay with our program as long as they want."
To keep the nonprofit free, they adopted a social enterprise model, launching businesses like a studios company and a roofing company. A portion of the profits fund the nonprofit, and, crucially, they hire graduates of their program, offering a tangible path to a new life.
From the depths of a family tragedy and the struggles of addiction, Feliz Weaver and her husband have built a beacon of hope. Their work is a testament to their belief that with community, faith, and a helping hand, anyone can find their way back to a healthy, fulfilling life. As the motto for their nonprofit states, "We recover better together.”