It’s a wonder Kasey remembers much of her childhood at all. Most of us would block such a horrific time from our minds. Raped and molested. Taken from her parents. Living on the streets. Placed in foster homes and drugged to keep her anger at bay. His denial lasted until he attended Alcoholics Anonymous and found himself nodding along. “The stories sounded awfully familiar.”
“What I do remember doesn’t seem real,” she says. “I felt like a lab rat…always drugged up because of my anger…going from one foster home to another. I just didn’t feel loved, and one day when I was 16, I tried to commit suicide and ended up on life support.”
It’s no surprise that when she was “aged out” of the foster care system at 18 and was left to fend for herself, Kasey started using drugs. Her addiction continued for years – even through the birth of her first son. “I ended up giving him up for adoption,” Kasey says. “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done!” Kasey takes responsibility for her actions. “I am who I am,” she says. “I’ve made my own journey. But today, I’m trying to make the best of it, for my kids and for the man upstairs who I owe everything to.” Her plan is a simple one: “Stay on the right path. Stay sober. Always trust in God.” Kasey appreciates all the Mission and its supporters have done for her and her son. “There are a lot of people out there like me. At the end of the day, all we need is support. Not having anyone who cares is an awful feeling. It’s devastating.”
“If I had had this kind of support growing up, I probably would not have been in foster care. I would have been more of a Christian. So I want to say “thank you” to people who support the Mission and ask them to just keep reaching out.”
You can reach out and help people just like Kasey!