Todd Sylvester Inspires Beliefcast

Jon Redd struggled with addiction throughout his teenage years and went into residential treatment at the age of 19 for alcohol and drug use.   After treatment, he earned a degree in Psychology from the U of U and attended the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Training program through the Graduate School of Social Work at the U of U.      Upon graduation, he got married, started a family, and went on to earn an MBA from BYU.  Within months of finishing his MBA program, Jon was diagnosed with advanced-stage thyroid cancer in early 2003.  As a result of complications from his first surgery, Jon had a severed branch of his spinal accessory nerve and was prescribed oxycontin.  This quickly progressed to include alcohol and other mind-altering substances.      Jon’s story involves a 14-year struggle with drugs and alcohol, losing his career, and nearly losing his family.  He tried using the knowledge from his education to fight this disease and felt too much shame to ask for help.  In desperation, he said a pra