by “Bless all those who struggle with addiction. Touch them, heal them, reassure them of the Father’s constant love. Remain at my side, St. Jude, to chase away all evil temptations, fears, and doubts. May the quiet assurance of your loving presence illuminate the darkness in my heart and bring lasting peace. Amen.”
FAIRVIEW, OH – Back in 2023, I was privileged to share the story of Maria Isabella and her sister Christina McCrae as small business owners from North Olmsted, who owned two thriving shops in Fairview. Maria Co-Owns Reilly’s Irish Bakery with her mother while Christina owns and operates Mangia Bella Italian Goods, located right next door. They both have a stand at the West Side Market as well.
It was a wonderful story of family that still gets views on the website to this very day, even being picked up by the amazing Dave Chudowsky of WKYC for their own piece. Little did I know at the time, just how powerful the story truly was.
Maria Isabella had her first drink of alcohol at the age of 16 and it wasn’t much longer until she was smoking pot. Like any young adult, she knew the dangers of addiction, but wanted to fit in, wanted to be cool and it wasn’t much longer that she started to truly enjoy it. As most problems do however, it started out small but got larger within her first few years out of school and into the real world.
It started to get worse in her days working jobs as a bartender and a hairdresser. As a bar tender, she found herself staying after shifts to drink with customers and friends. Isabella explains how things began to get out of hand, “At first I was in denial that I even had a problem. It started in High School and just went from there as someone who is super social. Then I started bartending after high school and that is when it picked up. I wouldn’t leave the bar when my shift was done, opting instead to sit around for hours and drink. It just got worse from there.
I ended up getting married and then divorced, with alcohol playing a major role in both, causing me to go through a tough time. After the split is when I began to hit a lot of rock bottoms as I felt I needed to make up for lost time with my newfound freedom. “
Things began to spiral out of control as Maria began to drink just to mask the pain. She drank herself into a bunch of bad situations which led to blackouts, driving drunk, going into massive debt, losing friends, her apartment and even losing her car to repossession. After 3 days in de-tox she began to slowly get better but it wouldn’t last. It haunts her to this day.
Isabella talks about absolute rock bottom, “I was having really bad panic attacks and completely reliable on alcohol to calm my nerves. This led to many issues including pancreatitis a few times. When I walked into detox, I felt I didn’t belong and that was the wrong approach to have. Not even that kept me away from drinking. Eventually, I went into a coma for three days in the hospital with liver failure and multiple issues. I was in the hospital for two weeks and came out of the coma on my 31rst birthday. “ For Isabella, that may have been her first birthday, into sobriety, because after that, she began to realize she was here for a reason, and turned things around.
Her journey with sobriety began 10 years ago, and it was around the first year into it that she began to slowly notice the differences in her life for the better. Isabella explains the differences in herself and also others around her. “It took me about a good year to notice the difference in myself and also others. I noticed my thoughts were much clearer and my work ethic returned. There was no more calling off or being irresponsible. My mind was where it was supposed to be. I became dependable and acted normal, just a better person all the way around. I also saw things with a clear head and watched others get drunk around me, and it was a huge indicator to me that I never wanted to be that way again, after seeing that behavior sober. Everything began to sink and became clear. It was a battle at times “
It was on this path to sobriety that Maria met her husband, Matthew. He too struggled with addiction but after two years of dating into her sobriety, he became clean as well and is now a major role in the company. Not only is Matt a good guy, a great wrestling fan, but he can make the best Corn Beef Sandwich you will ever have. Isabella talked about Matt here, “We were both alcoholics when we met and had some crazy times, but it wasn’t until we both became sober that we really took off and realized we were meant for each other. Our love blossomed and became real when we became sober. Making clear headed decisions together and got super strong together. Matt is the person I fell in love with. He has been sober 8 years to go with my 10. He is a huge influence, and we do everything together, experiencing parts of life together. It has been amazing with Matt. “
Maria had these words to share with any young person struggling with addiction, to provide them with hope, “I would encourage them to be the best person that they can be. Also, let them know it is okay to have fun and make your own mistakes because that is how you learn. I would tell them everything that happened to me so they can see what could happen. If my story is going to help people then I think that is an amazing thing. I just want to nurture and help people. “
As much as Maria Isabella should be proud of her sobriety, at the same time, she is a female small business owner and that alone is something she can hang her hat on. Mix in the sobriety and she is a real-life hero who has overcome so much in her life. I asked her what she would say to young girls who look up to her as an example that females can be anything in this world, no matter what challenges may be out there for them, not just in sobriety, but in life, “Never be afraid of who you are, be yourself and work hard. If you work hard at anything, stay committed to it and don’t be afraid to struggle, fail or fall. It just makes you stronger than you were before. This will help you take the next step to who you are supposed to be. “
The story of Maria Isabella proves two things to me, the first that you are truly never alone and the second that everyone deserves a comeback. Maria could have given up, but God kept her on this Earth, and she has made the most of it. She wasn’t alone, she had those who loved her and with that, found love with Matt as well. She is now a proud business owner and someone I consider an inspiration to my 8 and 11 year old daughters.
I would like to publicly thank Maria for sharing her story with the Kee On Sports audience and encourage everyone to visit Reilly’s Irish Bakery and Mangia Bella Italian Goods located at 22570 Lorain Road in Fairview.
