catalyst for change

Shawn Radics has spent his entire life in Alberta. Born and raised on a farm, hard work wasn’t just something he learned — it was a way of life. That work ethic carried him into construction and the pipeline industry, where he’s spent 24 years operating heavy equipment and working  long hours — twelve-hour shifts, six days a week. The job took him far from home, isolating him from his family, and the harsh environment bred a culture where addiction ran rampant. 
  


Over time, he found himself caught in the same cycle he had seen claim so many others. Drugs became a crutch, a way to cope with the loneliness and the exhaustion. And like so many before him, addiction took its toll. It cost him his family. Shawn watched coworkers battle the same demons, some managing to get sober, only to feel they had no choice but to leave the industry entirely. But he refused to accept that as the only way forward.  
  


He wanted to prove that recovery and life on the oil fields could coexist. “I created the Facebook page Pipeliners in Recovery, because I wanted to break the stigma, to prove that you can work in the pipeline industry and be in recovery, and I’m advocating for more supports to be available to make that happen,” he explains. 
 


But change wasn’t just about overcoming addiction. It was about rebuilding, piece by piece, and reclaiming the parts of himself that had been lost. One of those pieces was his smile. “Years of addiction destroyed my teeth. There’s the physical pain — not being able to eat certain foods — but also the mental pain; the stigma and the lack of confidence.” 
 


He found out about the GreenShield Cares Oral Health program through Alberta Health Services. “At first, I didn’t believe it. I assumed there had to be a catch because, in my experience, dental care was all about the money, not about helping people. But they saw me as more than my past, more than my mistakes.” 
  


When he finally looked in the mirror with his new teeth, he saw more than just a changed smile. He saw a man rebuilding his life, reconnecting with his family. “My new smile has been life changing. I’m more confident at work now, and I’m determined to make a difference for others who want to get into recovery.”