Bradley only cries twice a year: on his brother’s birthday, and on the anniversary of his death.
Bradley suffered considerable abuse growing up within the foster care system. He learned very quickly not to show emotion, and his heart grew cold.
It was the death of his brother when he was 23 years old that rocked Bradley to his core and upended his whole world. He’d never lost someone he loved before and grief overwhelmed him.
He turned to drugs, alcohol and fighting, attempting to deal with the anguish that had enveloped him. Bradley said: “If I wasn’t drinking and fighting it was because I was sick.”
When he got word that a young girl he knew was unhealthily targeted, Bradley was filled with rage. Bradley tracked down the person involved and attacked him with such violence, that he was sentenced to seven years in prison.
After his release, Bradley was sentenced to prison once again, this time for drug trafficking. But something happened during this stay in jail that would change his life forever.
Sitting at a table, playing cards with fellow inmates, Bradley barely looked up when a man that he didn’t recognise walked into the room.
“God’s asked me to talk to you,” the prison chaplain said, looking straight at Bradley.
Shocked, Bradley looked up, and tears streamed down his face. His whole heart opened in that moment. It was the prison chaplain who convinced Bradley to attend counselling and work through the trauma from his past.
He started attending a regular bible study group in prison, learning many scriptures by heart, which still encourage him today. His favourite is Proverbs 3:1: “My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart.”
Today, Bradley is a free man in more ways than one. Not only is he out of the prison system, but he’s found true freedom that comes from a relationship with Jesus Christ He was baptised at a local church not long after he was released from prison.
He’s married and is the very proud father of seven children, including a newborn. Bradley also founded his own clothing business, which has a mission to “embrace the bold and the daring” and “empower”.
From drugs, violence and bikie gangs, to embracing faith, fatherhood and fashion for a cause, Bradley says: “If you open your heart and you want to change, it is possible.”