JD Vance Celebrates Mother’s 10-Year Sobriety at White House: ‘You Made It’

by Zachary Mettler | April 9, 2025 | Family

On Monday, Vice President JD Vance fulfilled a promise to his mom, Beverly Aikins, to celebrate her 10-year sobriety anniversary at the White House.

The vice president led a celebration for his mom and roughly 20 family members in the White House’s Roosevelt Room on April 7.

For years, Beverly struggled with drug abuse and addiction to alcohol, heroin, and other drugs. As a result, Vance was largely raised by his grandmother, whom he calls “Mamaw,” who passed away in 2005. The vice president’s family story is depicted in the hit movie Hillbilly Elegy, based on his 2018 book.

In his brief remarks at the celebration, Vance looked at his mom and said, “I remember when I gave my RNC convention speech, which was the craziest thing, I even said during the speech that we would have your 10-year medallion ceremony at the White House.”

“Well, here we are. And you made it, and we made it. And most importantly, you’re celebrating a very, very big milestone. And I’m just very proud of you,” he said, tearing up. “I’m gonna try not to cry here.”

Vance reflected further upon Beverly’s healing, growth, and inspiriting story of redemption and reconciliation:

When I think about everything you’ve accomplished over the last 10 years and the fact that, when I was thinking about becoming a father, I didn’t know whether you would live long enough to have a relationship with my kids. And now here they are, almost 8, 5, and 3, and you’re the best grandmother that these kids could ever ask for.
It is really an amazing thing to watch. It is one of the great blessings of becoming a father, is that I’ve been able to see these kids develop the love and the affection for you and to see it in return. And that’s just an incredible blessing.

After his brief speech, the vice president handed his mom one of the president’s challenge coins. “[The president] asked me to give this to you,” Vance said. “And I will say that I love you, and I’m so glad that we’re here.”

The vice president posted about the event on X:

In a subsequent post, Vice President Vance reshared a portion of his speech from the Republican National Committee last year, when he discussed his mom’s journey through drug addiction. The video also highlights portions of Monday’s celebration.

Beverly’s story, full of heartbreak, redemption and restoration, is not uncommon.

According to the 2023 United States National Survey on Drug Use and Health, a staggering 48.5 million (16.7%) Americans (aged 12 and older) battled a substance use disorder in the past year. While 27.2 million Americans (9.7%) reported battling a drug use disorder, another 7.5 million (2.7%) of Americans struggled with both alcohol and drug use disorders simultaneously.

In 2024, nearly 87,000 Americans died from a drug overdose, down roughly 24% in one year compared to the 114,000 drug overdose deaths in 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

Beverly, who recently regained her nursing license and now works at a substance abuse treatment center as a nurse educator, shared about what finally brought her through drug addiction.

“Honestly, it was the loss of my family,” she said. “I hit rock bottom when my parents died. My brother and sister weren’t speaking to me. My kids weren’t speaking to me. I knew that I had to do something different. And that, you know, for this drug addict, is what saved, that’s what changed, that’s what saved my life.”

“I love my family more than anything,” she continued. “I pray a lot more, and hopefully, God gives me several more years to watch these guys grow up,” she said, looking at her three grandkids. “I love you all. Thank you so much for being here. Now, let’s celebrate. Yay.”

Congratulations to Beverly Aikins on her 10-year sobriety celebration. Her story is inspiring, and a reminder that hope and change are possible for all those dealing with addiction.

If you or someone you know are dealing with alcoholism, drug addiction, or another any other personal struggle, check out available resources and articles below.

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Related articles and resources:

Counseling Consultation & Referrals

Being Shaped by God’s Grace in the Midst of Addiction

Finding Freedom From Addiction Through Faith in God

Am I An Alcoholic?

If You Love An Alcoholic

Alcoholic Seeking Help

Help for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

Raising Your Children’s Children

Drug & Addiction Resources

Resources: Substance Abuse & Addiction

Hillbilly Elegy

JD Vance: ‘Friends and Family are What Matter Most’

Parents — Time to Tackle Marijuana Myths

Photo courtesy of the White House.