When I was young, my mom and dad got divorced. My mom married my stepdad soon after that. Later that year I realized that their divorce caused a lot of confusion. I went to my first mental facility around that time. Then, I went to another facility a year later. A few years later I got into a really bad car accident with my grandfather, and he died of a massive heart attack during the accident. This caused me to have a lot of guilt and anger. I started acting out which brought me to a lot of facilities in the past 5 years. I started self-harming and eating a lot; and I was a very scared, confused and angry child.
My mom found out about Mercy and I decided to apply because I felt like I had no other option. It was either Mercy or more facilities. I was tired of being tired. I was very scared and angry when I first walked into these doors. I didn’t like to listen to authority because I felt like I could take care of myself.
A big turning point for me was a time when a guest speaker came and talked about a really bad car accident that her and her family got in, and how her son died from the accident. I felt like I could relate a lot to her, which was a very inspiring moment for me. I wanted to be able to be like her.
God has taught me how to love myself, how to open up, and how to trust people. God has helped restore my relationships with my family that I had messed up. I have learned that I don’t have to be perfect; I just have to make progress. I have learned that I have a purpose and that my life has reason.
After Mercy, I plan to go back to school and get caught up since I am far behind.
To the supporters of Mercy, thank you so much for all you give us. You don’t know how much you have helped change all of our lives. Your help and support helps girls like me know that they have a purpose and are worth having nice things in life.