Growing up, 13-year-old Jasmine's family was accustomed to sweeping things under the rug: her father's depression and alcoholism, her mother's advancing cancer—and the fact that every other month or so, they couldn't scrape enough money together to pay the heating bill.
So when Jasmine's mother passed away after a lengthy hospital stay, her family did what it always had—refused to properly deal with it. Her father sent Jasmine and her younger brother back to school without any opportunity to grieve.
Confused, frightened and altogether lost without her mother, young Jasmine could hardly concentrate on her schoolwork. Her grades began to drop steadily and she lost interest in friends and afterschool activities.
"I started to feel invisible," said Jasmine about the months following her mother's funeral. "What I really needed, I think, was for someone to promise me that I would be safe—but I didn't get that until I came to Mercy Home."
Instead, Jasmine sought the sense of belonging and security she was missing in a group of kids who frequently ditched school, experimented with drugs and drinking and were regularly picked up by the police for loitering and shoplifting. She failed the 8th grade, got into physical fights with her father and even ran away, spending a week sleeping on park benches and in alleyways.
"I didn't realize I needed real help until I saw the effect my behavior was having on my little brother. I could see he was disappointed in me, even embarrassed of me, and that's when I realized something in my life had to change," said Jasmine.
That year, Jasmine spent her first months—and first Christmas—at Mercy Home. Adapting to our structured environment was difficult for her at first, but as time passed, she began to relax into a routine.
So when Mercy Home's Christmas celebration came around, and all the girls gathered excitedly around the tree to open their small gifts, Jasmine's therapist was alarmed when she would not participate. Instead, she stayed off to the side, refusing to unwrap her gift.
Later, as she pulled her wrapped present out from beneath her bed, Jasmine made a confession. For the first time since her mother had passed away, she felt safe and provided for—and for Christmas, she wanted to ensure that her brother felt the same way. If she could give him that feeling, just by sharing her Christmas present with him, then that would be the only gift she would need that holiday.
If you'd like to give the gift of safety and comfort this Christmas, please consider sharing a gift with Mercy Home today.
Please note: Because we care deeply about protecting the privacy of our boys and girls, we have changed the name used in this story, as well as certain identifying details.
