Danny's Story

"It wasn’t easy for Danny to plead with his neighbors for help, but he knew if he didn’t do something, he and his brother would starve."                                                                                      

At just ten years old, Danny was forced into the role of “man of the house.”  His mother was addicted to drugs and sometimes, Danny and his brother would go days without seeing her. 

So, Danny, two years older than his brother David, had no choice but to care for the two of them.  When there was no food in the house, Danny would bundle up his brother, and the two of them would make visits to their neighbors. 

“My brother and me, we would just knock on people’s doors and beg them to help us.  Most of the time, they would send us away with something to eat,” Danny admitted. 

It wasn’t easy for Danny to plead with his neighbors for help, but he knew if he didn’t do something, he and his brother would starve.  And when a neighbor would happen to turn them away, the boys were forced to roam the alleys scouring trashcans for anything to satisfy their hunger.

But when their mother abandoned them, and a close family friend learned of the trouble they were in, she insisted that the boys come and live with her.  And although Mary had the very best intentions, she was 75-years-old, and two young boys proved to be too much to handle. 

Just after the boys moved in with Mary, she underwent hip replacement surgery.  And instead of Danny having a second chance at his childhood, he found himself with even more responsibility than before. Mary was so weak from her operation that Danny had to take care of her—helping her move about the house and keeping track of her medication.  He even took in the mail each day and tried his best to write checks for Mary to pay the bills. 

For months, Danny struggled to take care of Mary, David and himself.  But the stress was just too great for one little boy to handle.  And with nowhere to turn for help, Danny did the only thing he could think of to free himself from the pain in his life—he tried to kill himself. 

Afterwards, when Danny was safe and home from his hospital stay, Mary realized that she was asking too much from such a young boy.  She recognized that, although she wanted to, she could not provide Danny with the security and love he needed to overcome his sorrowful past. 

So, the brothers came to Mercy Home where, thanks to the compassion and generosity of our kind friends, they found the love, safety and guidance they had missed out on for so long.  Of course, the boys know that healing from the pain and sadness of their pasts won’t be easy—but with the help of our faithful friends, Danny and David are eager to embrace futures that are full of hope, happiness and promise.