Help Abigail Heal from Her Trauma!

I never thought I would do something like this, but we can’t do it on our own anymore. My 9-year-old adopted daughter, Abigail, is in a special school getting help for the trauma she sustained as an infant (mental, emotional and physical), but keeping her in this school is a huge financial challenge.

We got Abigail as a foster baby at 4 months of age. She had been alcohol and drug exposed in utero, and then neglected and shoved around between different relatives during those first few months of life. As she grew into a toddler, some issues emerged that needed attention, so we got her into weekly therapy. She improved substantially, but when she was 6 or 7 years old, things started deteriorating again. We had several different evaluations done, and found out she had serious cognitive and learning disabilities as well as a very incapacitating emotional condition called Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD), which is brought on by a lack of proper attachment to the primary caregiver early in life.

A couple of years ago, things were becoming quite difficult, and by the beginning of last summer, our life had come to a crisis point. Abigail's emotional condition was rapidly worsening. There was so much hostility, defiance and aggression, I could hardly cope anymore, especially being a new "single parent." She had also been in a special education program in a good charter school, and was learning a little bit here and there, but was still way behind. I had done my best, but it was not working and we were totally exhausted. I knew she needed help—help I could not give her (the "before" pictures are not shown here, but she was a very unhappy little girl, and her face showed it).

I spent hundreds of hours last summer trying to find a place that could help her. I searched, called, and applied to a host of schools that help kids with these kinds of issues, but to no avail. Every door got slammed in my face; meanwhile, things were getting desperate. When I was at the lowest point in my life, God opened an amazing door only three hours away. A small, family-like boarding school (Just Love Them Ministries), which helps kids with learning disabilities and also works with their emotional and psychological issues. The head teacher/director is a very well-educated woman that has worked with children like this for over 25 years. She’s gifted, motherly, calm and kind. I was shocked when they accepted Abigail and stated they would commit to helping her for a minimum of one year.

So Abigail has been in this school since last September and she has started to thrive (the "after" pictures are shown above—you can see how happy she looks). She’s learning to read sentences (a total miracle!!) and is making progress on an emotional level as well. She’s looking me in the eye and smiling at me affectionately—something she never did before! She’s becoming a very different child, even at home during the holidays: much more calm, cooperative and cheerful. Of course, deep healing and progress take time, so she will be there for at least a year, if not longer.

The one big problem I am facing right now is finances! It costs $1800 a month to have her in this school, and this is an almost impossible amount even with the child support I receive from Abigail's dad every month. We're still in need of $12,000 for the calendar year to make it work (they run the school year-round, including the summer). There are many needs and demands on everybody's resources nowadays, so anything you could do to help us would be greatly appreciated. If God impresses your heart to assist Abigail—even in the smallest way—it will go far toward helping her become a whole and healthy little girl. Thank you so much for considering!