Growing up in Puerto Rico, Nelson Caldero seemed destined for success.
Bright, disciplined, and surrounded by strong family values, all the pieces were in place. His parents, now in their eighties, didn’t drink or smoke, and Nelson was raised in the Catholic Church.
“My family taught me right from wrong,” he said. “We weren’t even allowed to have tattoos.”
After graduating high school in 1990, Nelson went to college and earned an associate’s degree in accounting. But despite his degree and the structure his family provided, his environment told a different story. Nelson lived in a housing project where crime and drug dealing were part of everyday life; where the people who commanded respect were the ones who broke the rules.
“In the projects, it wasn’t about being a bad person,” Nelson explained. “It was about survival … and wanting more.”
Despite his family’s love and support, by his late teens, Nelson was already immersed in Puerto Rico’s drug culture. He drove his own car, worked for major dealers, and was surrounded by people chasing fast money.
“I wasn’t using then,” he said. “But I was deep in the lifestyle.”
A Move to the Mainland
In his early twenties, Nelson traveled to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to attend a funeral for someone connected to the life he’d known in Puerto Rico. It was his first time leaving the island, and the trip changed everything, he said. As soon as he arrived, he saw opportunities everywhere and decided to stay.
But that decision would also put him on a dangerous path.
“When I came to Bethlehem, I started working at a tire shop that was also laundering money,” Nelson said. “Eventually, I made the poor decision to start selling heroin with one of my coworkers. My mentality back then was all about making money.”
The lifestyle escalated quickly. His first brush with jail was for possession while dealing drugs. He bailed himself out quickly, though, and was back on the street in no time. He was even offered Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD), a pre-trial diversion program for first-time nonviolent offenders. Successful participation in the program could have eventually led to an expungement of his criminal record.
It wasn’t long, however, before Nelson got further involved in drug trafficking and was arrested after a shooting incident. Although he wasn’t the one who pulled the trigger, Nelson was one of three people trying to collect money from another group and was witnessed carrying a gun. This time, his case wasn’t treated so lightly. He was given a high bail, which led to his first real time in jail.
“That’s when I went to general population for the first time,” he said. “When I came out, I told myself I was a criminal now. That’s how I started using heroin for the first time, right here in Pennsylvania.”
The Spiral and the Fall
What began as experimentation soon turned into a daily battle.
“From that day on, that was it,” he said. “I was in and out of prison—Northampton County, Lehigh County—it never stopped.”
Hoping to escape the chaos, Nelson returned to Puerto Rico, where his family believed a change of scenery might help. “But when I went back, it was even worse,” he said. “Heroin was cheaper and easier to find. Two weeks later, I was using again. And then I became homeless.”
Eventually, a friend from the old neighborhood recognized his struggle and sent him to a program that transferred people from Puerto Rico to Christian rehabilitation centers in the U.S. Nelson ended up in New Jersey, but he wasn’t ready. “I found a way to use even in the program,” he said. “They kicked me out.”
From there, he called his brother in Bethlehem, who sent him money to come back. “He told me the rules: no using, no drinking. Three weeks later, I relapsed again.”
Rock Bottom and the Turning Point
By his late twenties, Nelson had lost nearly everything: his marriage, his health, and his family’s trust.
“Every time my brother helped me, I hurt him,” he said. “I would steal from him to buy drugs. It got to the point where I had no place to live and no one to call.”
In 2007, he found himself back in jail, this time in Northampton County. But during his court hearing, something shifted. “I told the judge, ‘If you send me to treatment, I promise you’ll never see me in this court again,’” he said. “And I meant it.”
The judge listened. Nelson was sent to a residential treatment program in Lancaster. “That was my last chance,” he said. “And I knew it.”
His clean date of November 2, 2007, marks the day he entered that program. When he completed treatment, his counselor offered him a spot at The GateHouse in Lancaster. “I’d never heard of it before,” Nelson said. “But on January 2, 2008, I walked through those doors. And everything started to change.”
Finding a New Way to Live
At first, Nelson wasn’t sure he’d fit in.
“There were only two Spanish guys there, and after the first week, the other one got discharged,” he recalled. “I thought nobody would like me. But from the first day, everyone treated me with respect. They treated me like I was somebody. I needed that.” That respect became the foundation of his recovery. Nelson began working the 12 Steps, attending meetings, and building a new community.
“I decided I wasn’t going back to Bethlehem,” he said. “I was going to start over here.” He found a sponsor (the same one he still has today), got a job downtown, and started rebuilding his life.
“The GateHouse gave me more than a bed,” Nelson said. “It gave me purpose.”
From Resident to Role Model
Nelson stayed the course. He finished outpatient care, enrolled in classes at HACC, and eventually earned his associate degree in social work. Later, he was accepted into Drexel University’s Behavioral Health Counseling program, a process that took determination and three separate appeals after his application was initially denied due to his old criminal record.
“I didn’t give up,” he said. “I even wrote a letter to the doctor who created the program. I told him, ‘That charge doesn’t define who I am today.’ They finally accepted me and even paid for my books the first semester.”
Every Saturday for nearly two years, Nelson drove from Lancaster to Philadelphia for classes, never missing a session.
“I only missed one day because of snow. It took me two hours to drive there and two to drive back. But I wanted it,” he said. “I wanted it so bad.”
He graduated with honors and later earned his CADC (Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor) credential.
For 16 years, Nelson worked at Nuestra Clínica Residencial in Lancaster, where he rose to Facility Director of the halfway house before accepting a new role at Blueprints for Addiction Recovery. Today, he serves as an Embedded Case Manager, helping clients navigate treatment and county funding through the Lancaster County Drug and Alcohol Commission.
A Life Rebuilt with a Legacy of Service
Recovery established Nelson’s career but also rebuilt his family.
After gaining full custody of his daughter when she was two and a half, he built his life around being a father.
“I learned how to braid hair, pack lunches, and take her to school,” he said with a smile. “She’s 10 now, and everything I do, I do for her.”
Nelson also found love again.
“I’ve been in a relationship for five years,” he said. “She loves my daughter like her own.”
Even now, he remains deeply connected to the recovery community. He serves as a coordinator for a Spanish-language NA convention and volunteers as an area service representative for the Lancaster region.
“Somebody helped me,” he said. “Now it’s my turn to help others.”
Eighteen Years Clean and Counting
This November marks 18 years since Nelson’s last use. It’s a milestone he doesn’t take lightly.
“I remember what it felt like to have nothing,” he said. “Today, I have a home, a family, a career, and peace. That’s what recovery gives you. Peace.”
When asked what advice he shares with others walking a similar path, Nelson doesn’t hesitate.
“Don’t give up,” he said. “You’re not going to understand everything right away. But keep showing up. One day, the miracle will happen. And when it does, your life will make sense again.”
The GateHouse is Central Pennsylvania’s leader in accredited recovery care, helping individuals rebuild their lives and rediscover the strength of the human spirit. Whether you need outpatient support, transitional living, or residential extended care programs, give us a call at 717-393-3215 or contact us to get started.
