Todd Welch was a bright and spirited child, and an excellent student and soccer player. He graduated fifth academically in his high school class and went on to a top-ten University with high hopes and ambitions. During his college years, he pursued various interests in business, writing and medicine and traveled to many countries of the world. Unfortunately, Todd used his aptitudes to cover up his personal struggle with alcoholism and addiction. Raised in a large family with a history of alcoholism, Todd had his first drink at age 12 and believed he had found the missing piece in his life. Over the years, his alcohol and drug addiction took control of his life and nearly ended it after a fateful overdose and subsequent coma at one of the many treatment centers he visited. Before coming to GatehouseAcademy, his last stay in treatment, Todd was physically dependent on drugs and alcohol and completely hopeless. Todd found recovery and a new sense of wholeness and strength at Gatehouse Academy. He now enjoys his life to the fullest, is finishing his college degree, and is truly expressing his gifts in good service. He absolutely loves facilitating recovery breakthroughs with newcomers to the program, helping their families, and bearing witness to the miracles that happen every day.