From conviction to recovery: East Tennessee couple inspire thousands through their journey of sobriety

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Through sickness, health and recovery, that is how one East Tennessee couple is living out their wedding vows and helping addicts find freedom through their story.

Ashley Myers knows the chains of addiction. She struggled with alcohol since she was 20 years old.

For Ashley, her heavy drinking later escalated to stronger drugs. 

"My 30th birthday, I decided to try meth," she said. "And one thing led to another and the next thing I know it was an everyday thing."

Ashley's road to recovery consisted of attending the Campbell County Recovery Court and living in halfway housing. It was in her recovery process when she came across another familiar story on the social media platform TikTok.

"I started scrolling through TikTok and I'd seen him," Ashley said. "His TikTok was all about recovery and his son." 

That familiar face was of Raymond Myers, her now husband and recovering addict himself. Raymond is a former opioid user. He got hooked on painkillers at 14 years old. 

After Raymond was released from jail he started to share his recovery to sobriety online.

"I made a decision in prison that I was done with drugs and if I ever got out, I was starting my life and [turning] around," he said. 

Ashley and Raymond's paths soon crossed on a fateful day when attending a Narcotics Anonymous group. 

"I would have never thought that I would meet my wife at the NA meeting one day," Raymond said. 

Their journey to redemption led to the duo fighting to get their kids. Raymond had been separated from his son Parker for three years. Now they are back together. 

"For me, it was just the love that I have for my son," Raymond said. "A father's bond with a son is nothing like it."  

Ashley is working to get her kids back under the same roof.

"I was once a full-time mom to them and my intention is to be that full-time mom again. They never gave up on me," she said.

This family of six now continues to share their story of freedom one video at a time.

"Anybody can change and we do recover. Anybody can change regardless of where you came [from] or what you have done," Raymond said.