Young Man Finally Finds Home

October 8, 2025

Jace’s path to Mercy Home began with the worst night of his life.

It had been building for a long time. For most of Jace’s life, his mother put her addiction to drugs ahead of anything else.

Jace didn’t grow up in a loving home. There were no birthday parties, family vacations, or even a warm greeting when he arrived home from school. It was just him, his mother, and her addiction—and her addiction always came first.

“I questioned if my mom even loved me,” Jace remembered. “She never seemed to care about anything but getting high.”

Jace’s father moved out of state when Jace was very young. Exhausted from dealing with Jace’s mother, he didn’t stay in touch and was not part of his son’s life. But without his father’s contribution to the household, Jace’s mother was unable to keep up with rent payments or have a steady job.

After moving between homes with friends and family, Jace’s mother quickly wore out her welcome with her entire network. Eventually, she and her son ended up on the streets. Incredibly, nobody ever asked what would happen to Jace as they told his mother she was no longer welcome to stay in their home.

Life on the streets was unforgiving. Sometimes Jace and his mother were lucky enough to find a shelter to take them in. But more often, they ended up huddled in train stations or covered doorways until the authorities chased them away.

“It was really scary to spend the night outside and to not know where I would be sleeping,” Jace said.

That was bad enough, but the worst nights were when his mother had gone too long without getting high. It was something Jace never got used to. Every time his mother began to go through withdrawal, Jace was filled with panic that she was dying. He was forced to try to protect his mother, withstanding her angry outbursts, while also looking for a safe place to stay for the night.

These endless struggles hindered Jace’s education. He struggled to stay awake in class, and it was hard for him to even care about school when every day was focused on mere survival. Jace was absent a lot as he tried to care for his mother and keep her safe. His teachers noticed that he wasn’t a focused student, but they never asked questions.

“I waited for someone to notice I was struggling, but nobody ever did,” Jace said.

It seemed like Jace was destined to just slip through the cracks. And then his mom overdosed.

Jace had left his mother in an alley while he dug through a restaurant’s trash can, hoping to find food to eat. It wasn’t the first time he had been forced to look through the garbage for a meal, and the shame never seemed to fade as he did it.

When he returned to where he left his mother, she was on the ground convulsing. It felt like time stopped as Jace ran to the street, screaming for help. He had never been so scared in his life.

“I just panicked,” Jace remembered. “It was the worst night I ever had. I was sure she was dying.”

A passerby called 911 and an ambulance came for Jace’s mother. As the doctors treated her, Jace met with a hospital social worker. He explained about his mother’s addiction and how unstable their life was. Nobody had ever asked Jace how he felt about the situation he was in, and it was a relief to share his burdens.

Jace’s mother survived her overdose but would need inpatient treatment and time spent in rehab before she could care for Jace again. The social worker recommended Mercy Home as a safe place where Jace could live while his mother recovered. Craving stability, Jace immediately agreed.

After moving in, Jace thought that Mercy Home was too good to be true. It was hard to accept that he was in a place filled with loving people who were interested in his well-being. But eventually he grew to love the predictability of the routine at our Home. Jace’s life began to turn around. The time he spent with his therapist helped him process the trauma he had experienced. Just having someone to listen made all the difference. His mother recently started family therapy with Jace, and they are slowly trying to rebuild their relationship. For the first time, things seem to be going right.

“Mercy Home changed my life for the better,” Jace said. “I know that in the future, things will be different for me and for my mom.”

Thank you for being a port in the storm to struggling children like Jace. Your kindness allows us to provide a safe home for the boys and girls who most desperately need it.

Please note: Because we care deeply about protecting our children’s privacy, the names and certain identifying details in this story have been changed.