Help Give Kyle a Second Chance

Kyle is my little brother. Well, I guess he's not so little anymore - he's 18 years old. But in my mind, he'll always be my little brother, and I'd do anything and everything to keep him safe and healthy. Although recently, that's become harder and harder to do. You see, Kyle has been struggling with addiction for a long time now, and things got really bad earlier this year. There were times we lost him for days at a time. Other times he would come home in such bad shape that my family and I would have to stay up all night checking to make sure he was still breathing. After way too many close calls, we finally convinced Kyle to go away to Caron Treatment Center in Wernersville, PA on August 8th, 2013. Originally, he was going into a 30-day recovery program. After those 30 days, Caron suggested that he should stay for an additional 90 days, as 30 days is almost never enough for a person to get clean. Now, over 100 days into Kyle's treatment, I am amazed at the transformation I've witnessed. He has gone from a miserable, depressed child to a confident, loving and bright young man. When he first went away, all he ever spoke about was how he couldn't wait to get out of there so he could come home and go back to what he thought was his "normal" life: constantly searching for a way to get what he needed, no matter who he was getting it from or hurting in the process. Now when he speaks, he talks about how he can't wait to get home to finally be able to see his family. He tells us how much he loves and misses us. He talks about his future - getting his GED, going to school, and finding a job to support himself and help his family out. These are things I never thought I'd hear out of his mouth, but it's real. Caron has given him a second chance at life, and my family and I couldn't be more grateful.

A few weeks ago, Kyle expressed his concerns about coming home. He's finished with his 120 program on December 9th, but is scared that if he comes home, he'll fall back into his old patterns. He's spent a lot of time talking to his counselors at Caron and researching the best place for him to go when his treatment is complete, and his search has lead him to Serenity Lodge, also in Pennsylvania. Naturally, we were more than ecstatic to hear how serious he was about remaining sober, and we were willing to do whatever it takes to help him do so. The problem here lies in the fact that Caron has cost my family over $53,000. Serenity will cost us an additional $13,500. My mother works very hard every day to support our family, but between my brother's care and having a mentally and physically disabled 20-year-old daughter at home, things have been a little rough for her - both emotionally and financially. I'm doing what I can to help her out, but there's only so much I can give.

This is where you guys come in. Every last cent can help offset the cost for Serenity, and give my beautiful mother a little bit of a break. I know $13,500 is a lot of money, and I honestly don't expect to raise anything even CLOSE to that amount... but I can try. I can't offer much more than a sincere and heartfelt thank you to anyone that donates, but if you could find it in your heart to help us out, and if you have a few dollars to send after you take care of your own bills and expenses, I would be eternally grateful.

Please help me give my baby brother a second chance at a happy, healthy life.