The story of Sabina: ShowBiz in Recovery

Kicking off our October theme, “ShowBiz in Recovery,” is the remarkable story of Sabina—a woman who proves that no matter how far down addiction takes us, the spirit of recovery can carry us higher.Sabina’s love for music and early exposure to drugs came from her brother, who tragically died of an overdose when she was just 15. By her twenties, her path led to homelessness in San Francisco and heroin addiction, where she lost custody of her young son. But when intervention came, she seized her chance. The same week the towers fell in September 2001, Sabina received her first coin—and she has never stopped fighting for her life in recovery.What makes Sabina’s story extraordinary is not just where she came from, but where she has gone. With two years clean, she walked back into the music scene she once feared, learning to live clean in an environment where everyone else was using. She found her people in the Wharf Rats—a fellowship of Grateful Dead fans in recovery—and eventually stepped onto the stage herself, becoming a lead singer and guitarist with more than a decade clean.Today, with 25 years of recovery behind her, Sabina is a mother, a multiple-home owner, a performer, and a powerful example of what happens when we don’t give up. Her recovery is built on meetings, service, sponsorship, and a fierce belief that no one is beyond hope. She reminds us that transformation isn’t just possible—it’s promised, if we keep showing up. Sabina never gave up, and her story shines as proof that we don’t have to either.