Emma
Donation protected
I wrote the following story about Emma in August in response to a parent homework assignment from one of her teachers. Since then Emma has had a serious decline in her mental health and functioning. She no longer attends school. She stays isolated in her room. She has lost most of her friends. Her health has declined. She has lost her capacity for joy and frequently talks about wanting to die. She is losing hope.
In my attempt to get Emma the help she needs I discovered a wonderful opportunity for her to attend a therapeutic boarding school. I have visited the school and spoken at length with the executive director to determine if this is the right fit for Emma. I have become convinced that attending this school could improve or even save her life. The therapeutic and academic interventions are designed to help young girls with problems like Emma to learn life skills to improve their ability to regulate difficult emotions, control impulses, solve problems, repair and maintain relationships, to build confidence in themselves, and take responsibility for their choices. But the school is very expensive.
As Emma’s mother and greatest advocate I will work tirelessly to find resources to get her what she needs. So I am asking friends, family, strangers for help. Please consider donating. And please share Emma's story. If you are aware of any resources, i.e. churches or other organizations, that could help please contact me. Thank you so much for taking the time to learn about Emma.
ashevilleacademy.com
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Once upon a time a baby girl was born. Her parents named her Emma. She had the bluest eyes and locks of golden brown hair which haloed her head with curls. She was loved and adored by all who knew her. She was a lively child who laughed hysterically and played hard. Her imagination was endless.
As Emma grew older her brilliant imagination began to tun on her. She became preoccupied with the macabre. To worry and fear with the same ferocity as she had once played. She was hyperaware of mutilated animals on the roadside, thunderstorms, death, danger. Emma was overwhelmed by her thoughts and at the age of three stopped talking for two years to anyone who wasn’t her parent or grandmother. Her parents took her to a wise man hoping to alleviate some of their baby’s pain. The doctor started her on medication for her anxiety and her fears waned. But the medicine, and Emma’s curious but reckless temperament caused her to behave in impulsive ways. Her behavior began to cause problems at home and school and the wise doctor told her parents that she had ADHD. So Emma was started on another medication. And so began an endless journey toward health and wellness for Emma and her family.
Emma survived and at times thrived in elementary school. She had many wonderful teachers who loved Emma and wanted to understand what she needed to be happy and successful. In the 4th grade, Emma’s scary thoughts escalated and she began to fear that something dreadful would happen unless she could stop it by doing rituals over and over. Emma’s young life became ruled by these rituals. She would get stuck on a task such as reading, showering, buckling her seatbelt, or closing cabinet doors. She just couldn’t stop. She would scream in anguish for help until her mother would pull her away from the task and help her to calm down. The child worried that she would be poisoned or contaminated and she stopped eating. A doctor recommended Emma go to a place far away to get help. Emma and her mother found this place and spent five months working hard to help Emma get unstuck from her fears.
When Emma returned to school the next year she was happy. She made several friends and she had new skills and new medicine to help her manage the scary thoughts. Emma had fought valiantly and her hard work paid off.
Emma left her beloved elementary school and began her adolescent life in middle school. She loved her friends but the demands of her progressing education began to overwhelm her. This was new for Emma who had been considered a child of gifted intellect in primary school. She often felt different from the other kids. She watched them with suspicion and her thoughts would tell her that her peers were judging her. At times she would refuse to go to school and she missed many classes. At other times she would take unsafe risks to impress her peers. Her anxiety made it difficult for Emma to sort out what was fact from fiction. Emma’s grades began to fall.
The medicine Emma was taking for her mood and scary thoughts was causing serious health problems so the doctor discontinued it. She continues to struggle with fearful thoughts, angry outbursts, low energy, social anxiety, completing school work, and impulsivity. But she is a hero. And she is championed by her family, her friends, and her school community. The ones who fervently love her surround her and work tirelessly to help her overcome challenges and build a full and rewarding life. Emma makes us laugh and love hard, and challenges us to see the world in different ways.
In my attempt to get Emma the help she needs I discovered a wonderful opportunity for her to attend a therapeutic boarding school. I have visited the school and spoken at length with the executive director to determine if this is the right fit for Emma. I have become convinced that attending this school could improve or even save her life. The therapeutic and academic interventions are designed to help young girls with problems like Emma to learn life skills to improve their ability to regulate difficult emotions, control impulses, solve problems, repair and maintain relationships, to build confidence in themselves, and take responsibility for their choices. But the school is very expensive.
As Emma’s mother and greatest advocate I will work tirelessly to find resources to get her what she needs. So I am asking friends, family, strangers for help. Please consider donating. And please share Emma's story. If you are aware of any resources, i.e. churches or other organizations, that could help please contact me. Thank you so much for taking the time to learn about Emma.
ashevilleacademy.com
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Once upon a time a baby girl was born. Her parents named her Emma. She had the bluest eyes and locks of golden brown hair which haloed her head with curls. She was loved and adored by all who knew her. She was a lively child who laughed hysterically and played hard. Her imagination was endless.
As Emma grew older her brilliant imagination began to tun on her. She became preoccupied with the macabre. To worry and fear with the same ferocity as she had once played. She was hyperaware of mutilated animals on the roadside, thunderstorms, death, danger. Emma was overwhelmed by her thoughts and at the age of three stopped talking for two years to anyone who wasn’t her parent or grandmother. Her parents took her to a wise man hoping to alleviate some of their baby’s pain. The doctor started her on medication for her anxiety and her fears waned. But the medicine, and Emma’s curious but reckless temperament caused her to behave in impulsive ways. Her behavior began to cause problems at home and school and the wise doctor told her parents that she had ADHD. So Emma was started on another medication. And so began an endless journey toward health and wellness for Emma and her family.
Emma survived and at times thrived in elementary school. She had many wonderful teachers who loved Emma and wanted to understand what she needed to be happy and successful. In the 4th grade, Emma’s scary thoughts escalated and she began to fear that something dreadful would happen unless she could stop it by doing rituals over and over. Emma’s young life became ruled by these rituals. She would get stuck on a task such as reading, showering, buckling her seatbelt, or closing cabinet doors. She just couldn’t stop. She would scream in anguish for help until her mother would pull her away from the task and help her to calm down. The child worried that she would be poisoned or contaminated and she stopped eating. A doctor recommended Emma go to a place far away to get help. Emma and her mother found this place and spent five months working hard to help Emma get unstuck from her fears.
When Emma returned to school the next year she was happy. She made several friends and she had new skills and new medicine to help her manage the scary thoughts. Emma had fought valiantly and her hard work paid off.
Emma left her beloved elementary school and began her adolescent life in middle school. She loved her friends but the demands of her progressing education began to overwhelm her. This was new for Emma who had been considered a child of gifted intellect in primary school. She often felt different from the other kids. She watched them with suspicion and her thoughts would tell her that her peers were judging her. At times she would refuse to go to school and she missed many classes. At other times she would take unsafe risks to impress her peers. Her anxiety made it difficult for Emma to sort out what was fact from fiction. Emma’s grades began to fall.
The medicine Emma was taking for her mood and scary thoughts was causing serious health problems so the doctor discontinued it. She continues to struggle with fearful thoughts, angry outbursts, low energy, social anxiety, completing school work, and impulsivity. But she is a hero. And she is championed by her family, her friends, and her school community. The ones who fervently love her surround her and work tirelessly to help her overcome challenges and build a full and rewarding life. Emma makes us laugh and love hard, and challenges us to see the world in different ways.
Co-organizers (2)
Daphne Crawford
Organizer
Knoxville, TN
Danielle Pickle
Co-organizer