Willy Holt’s Stroke of Luck

Willy Holt
MDI Contributor

There was a very low time in my life.

It came when I was a heavy drinker.

I cheated on my wife.

Later, I was notified that one affair I had resulted in a child. A son was three years old by that time. Mind you, I was married and had two little girls. The child, Alex, was born right between my two daughters. I found out through a letter from my son’s mother who was suing me for child support.  

My wife found the letter first.

Of course she had no idea of Alex’s existence.    

Under all this pressure, combined with my continued drinking and cocaine use, I ended up having a massive stroke at the age of 36. This turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me.  

One of my biggest beliefs comes in the phrase I often use: “I am blessed and highly favored.”

I mean, who would ever say that the best thing that ever happened to him was a stroke? I spent five days in intensive care, then went straight to a 30-day inpatient alcohol rehab facility.  

My main belief that helped me change was this: if I don’t change I am going to die. Since my girls were preschool age at the time, this was not an option.  

In March 2021 I will have been sober for 30 years.

My son is in my life. This wasn’t true for the first 23 years of his life. My daughters and Alex are tight. Alex has even been to my ex-wife Roxie’s house at various times for parties for his sisters. Roxie has always believed that Alex did nothing wrong and so she has always treated him with love.  

Another big reason I am blessed and highly favored.