Vice President JD Vance celebrated his mother, Beverly Aikins’, 10th year of sobriety with friends and family members in the White House on Friday.
Gathered in the Roosevelt Room, Aikins was awarded her 10-year medallion.
The ceremony had been in the works since Vance accepted his vice presidential nomination in July 2024. During his acceptance speech, he explained how proud he was of his mom’s near decade of sobriety.
“It’ll be 10 years officially in January of 2025, and if President Trump’s OK with it, let’s have the celebration in the White House,” he said.
During the celebration Friday, he referenced this early speech. “I remember when I gave my RNC convention speech, which was the craziest thing, and I even said during the speech that we would have your 10-year medallion ceremony at the White House,” Vance said on Friday, according to the Washington Examiner.
Vance got emotional as he said, “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.”
The White House’s official X account also celebrated Aikins’ achievement. They wrote, “🩵@VP JD Vance marked a powerful moment at the White House on Friday — celebrating his mom Bev’s 10 years of sobriety with their family. Congratulations!”
Along with many others, a policy adviser for the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse responded to the post, “This is what recovery looks like.”
He continued, “thank you to Bev & @VP JD Vance for sharing this emotional moment in public to help the next person seeking the hope and joy of recovery — this shows America that recovery is real.”
Aikins’ journey to sobriety
As described in Vance’s memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy‚” Aikins grew up in a violent household. At one point when Aikins was a child, after her father failed to keep his promise of sobriety, her mom lit him on fire during a nap.
Aikins’ drug addiction began when Vance and his older sister Lindsey were young children. She reportedly started out by taking Vicodin pills from the hospital where she worked as a nurse, and later she got hooked on Percocet and heroin.
A year before Vance’s memoir was published in 2016, Aikins started recovery in a sober living facility.
She told The New York Times in September 2024 that she wants to use her son’s fame to give people struggling with addiction hope. “I want people to know to reach out, to try to get help, and that recovery is hard but it’s so worth it,” she said.
Aikins now works as a resident nurse at the Seacrest Recovery Center in Cincinnati.