Vice President J.D. Vance honored his mother, Beverley Aikins, with a private ceremony at the White House on Friday to celebrate a significant milestone: her tenth year of sobriety. The intimate event, held in the Roosevelt Room, fulfilled a public promise Vance made during his speech at the 2024 Republican National Convention. Roughly two dozen family members attended, including Second Lady Usha Vance and the couple’s three children.
Vance first proposed the idea of a White House celebration during his vice-presidential nomination acceptance speech in July 2024. “It’ll be 10 years officially in January of 2025, and if President Trump’s okay with it, let’s have the celebration in the White House,” he said. On Monday, the vice president reflected on the moment via social media, expressing heartfelt admiration: “Mom, I am so proud of you.”
This year marks my mom’s 10th year of sobriety, and I'm grateful that we were able to celebrate in the White House with our family.
Mom, I am so proud of you. pic.twitter.com/aGIKebEPYb— Vice President JD Vance (@VP) April 7, 2025
Aikins, now a nurse at a recovery center near Cincinnati, was presented with a commemorative medallion marking her decade of sobriety. According to the vice president’s office, she continues to dedicate her life to helping others navigate addiction and recovery. Speaking at the event, Aikins offered encouragement to those still in the struggle: “Recovery is hard, but it’s so worth it.”
Vance spoke about his pride in his mother’s achievement and noted that she was the kind of person people could count on when facing trouble, noted Fox News.
“That’s what addiction took away. But that’s what recovery has given back, is that you are a person that others can rely on,” he said, according to the same source.
“And I know you’re an inspiration to a lot of people in the recovery and addiction community. So, from the bottom of my heart and speaking for the whole family, we love you.”
Aikins’ battle with addiction, which began with prescription opioids and escalated to heroin use, is detailed in Vance’s 2016 memoir, Hillbilly Elegy. The book recounts how her substance abuse and legal troubles led to Vance being raised primarily by his grandparents. Her story was later dramatized in the 2020 Netflix film adaptation, with actress Amy Adams portraying Aikins.
The event was both a deeply personal celebration for the Vance family and a public acknowledgment of the broader national conversation surrounding addiction, recovery, and the power of resilience.
