Recovering Alcoholic Posts TikTok to Discover Girl Who Saved His Life (Unique)

• Richard, who goes by @TheOldLawStudent on TikTok, was an end-stage alcoholic who had tried to get sober a number of occasions
• All the things modified for the Florida native, now 41, 5 years in the past. One evening, he picked up his telephone and known as the American Habit Facilities, and a younger girl named Katelyn Vargo answered
• Two days later, Feb. 23, 2020, marked Richard’s first day of sobriety
• On Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, Richard celebrated 5 years sober. He posted a video on TikTok hoping to search out Vargo and thank her

Richard, who goes by @TheOldLawStudent on TikTok, was an end-stage alcoholic. He was dying, consumed by the bodily ache brought on by his ingesting, and couldn’t operate with out alcohol in his system, he says.

“I used to be every thing you consider once you consider the worst sort of alcoholic, and I knew that I wasn’t going to outlive for much longer,” Richard tells PEOPLE solely.

However every thing modified for the Florida native, now 41, 5 years in the past. One evening, he picked up his telephone and known as the American Habit Facilities, the place a younger girl named Katelyn Vargo answered. Though Richard cannot recall something from their dialog, his spouse later knowledgeable him that, because of Vargo’s steerage, he had booked a flight to Memphis to go to a therapy heart in Mississippi.

The subsequent day, nevertheless, Richard instantly determined in opposition to going. He discovered Vargo’s contact data in his telephone from the earlier evening, known as her, and advised her to cancel his spot, satisfied he may get sober on his personal.

“This half I bear in mind: Katelyn stated, ‘Good luck with that, let me know the way that one goes,’ ” he remembers. “I checked out my spouse and requested her if she thought I may probably get sober at dwelling. She checked out me and stated … nicely, I can’t repeat what she stated right here. Nevertheless it wasn’t enthusiastic.”

“She had been by means of this many occasions earlier than at this level, and knew my propensity for checking into therapy facilities, testing just a few later, and disappearing into the bars of no matter metropolis I discovered myself in,” he provides.

Pushed by Vargo’s phrases, he determined to go. His spouse threw garments in a bag, and he began ingesting — as a result of that’s the one manner he may make it to the airport with out having a panic assault. His spouse drove him to the airport, the place he blacked out and drank his strategy to Memphis. For some unknown cause, nobody was ready for him when he arrived. He continued to drink in Memphis till, in some unspecified time in the future, somebody ordered him a experience to Mississippi. He has no recollection of that experience or how he received to his vacation spot.

The subsequent morning, Feb. 23, 2020, marked Richard’s first day of sobriety. He remembers wanting to depart the therapy heart instantly, however Vargo had positioned him in such a distant location that he had little selection however to remain.

“I used to be used to individuals begging me to get sober, judges ordering me to, individuals demanding it,” he says. “However I wasn’t used to individuals simply going, ‘Effectively, do what you need.’ I believe it made me notice that no person was going to maintain saving me anymore, together with my spouse, and I needed to take a final shot at this sobriety factor.”

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Flash ahead to current day: on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, Richard celebrated 5 years sober. In that point, he earned a bachelor’s diploma, took the LSAT, went to legislation faculty, acquired his J.D., and just some weeks in the past, took the bar examination.

On high of that, he took up biking and has ridden N.Y.C.’s 5 Boro Bike Tour thrice, cycled the Pacific Coast Freeway and logged greater than 12,000 miles. Most significantly, he’s mended many relationships (although some weren’t mendable) and change into a a lot better husband and member of the family. Beforehand, he admits, he was unbearable — even to himself.

Not too long ago, Richard was on the airport boarding a flight when it struck him that, virtually precisely 5 years to the day, he had been in the identical place boarding the flight to rehab.

He had at all times wished to thank Vargo, and had tried to succeed in out to her at her American Habit Facilities quantity, however was advised she didn’t work there anymore. After fascinated about it, he knew that TikTok may assist him discover individuals shortly, so he thought it will be price a strive.

“If anybody is aware of her, please ahead this alongside,” he captioned a TikTok video of himself thanking Vargo. To his shock, the video went viral, amassing greater than 5 million views and three,500 feedback from customers attempting to attach him to Vargo.

Amongst those that commented was Vargo’s mother. She wrote, “Katelyn is my daughter. I’ve by no means been extra pleased with her! Thanks for monitoring her down. You don’t have any concept how a lot she wants this enhance of reward proper now! You simply do not know! Thanks!”

Ultimately, he made contact along with her. At first, Vargo tells PEOPLE she was caught off guard by the entire scenario and didn’t bear in mind him. However when Richard reminded her of some distinctive issues about him, she remembered, they usually began speaking like previous pals.

“I didn’t imagine it was me,” Vargo tells PEOPLE solely. “He spelled my identify incorrect and at first it was simply too large to be me. Nevertheless it was additionally American Habit Facilities, and there weren’t some other Katelyns who labored the Jacksonville space for AAC, so I simply bear in mind being in full shock. Like, am I actually this video proper now? What does this imply? Why is he in search of me? Who has seen this?”

“Once we first reconnected, it was on Fb and I didn’t even know there was a TikTok, however there was an instantaneous feeling of aid,” she provides. “I labored so laborious at AAC to assist individuals and to assist individuals get assist, and when individuals attain out, it jogs my memory that it wasn’t all for nothing. Wealthy might be the third particular person I do know of that I helped get into therapy who continues to be sober at present, and it makes all of the work price it. There wasn’t actually something I wished to say to him apart from ‘Oh my God, you’re nonetheless sober, that is phenomenal.’ ”

Upon reconnecting, Richard realized that Vargo has been battling an unknown sickness for almost 9 months, which has left her unable to work or pay her payments. Days after they exchanged messages, she was given a 24-hour eviction discover. On high of that, her daughter had lately tried to take her personal life. Life had simply been overwhelming for her.

“I used to be in a very hopeless scenario, and take a look at what occurred proper within the nick of time,” she says. “That alone ought to encourage so many individuals. There are such a lot of hopeless individuals on the market struggling proper now financially and with offering for his or her households. So, if one thing like this could occur for me, it may well occur for them too.”

Whereas the newfound pals have not had an opportunity to satisfy in particular person but, Richard tells PEOPLE they plan to satisfy up as soon as he is again from some upcoming travels. He says the American Habit Facilities has expressed curiosity in facilitating their assembly, too.

There’s additionally some hope that Vargo would possibly be capable of attend Richard’s swearing-in ceremony in April, which might actually deliver the story full circle for him.

“You don’t have to do that anymore,” he provides of habit. “Appears so easy, however I genuinely couldn’t perceive that I had a selection within the matter. I’m not saying that habit is a selection, as a result of it’s not, however there are selections obtainable to us as addicts, and one in every of them is to choose up the telephone and name for assist.”

“Whereas I’ve my quarrels with the rehab world, notably the large for-profit nature of it, there are such a lot of individuals on the opposite finish of those telephone traces simply ready to avoid wasting individuals’s lives, and the one factor stopping it’s ourselves,” he provides. “Make the decision … your Katelyn is likely to be on the opposite finish of the road.”

Should you or somebody you realize is battling substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.