A Weight Lifted From Alaia’s Shoulders

September 30, 2025

Alaia’s entire life fell apart in what felt like an instant. Her father was arrested and received a lengthy prison sentence—and everything changed.

When Alaia’s father went to prison, her whole life was upended. Her dad had supported the family, and now that income was gone. Her mom had to take several jobs to make up the difference, and that left Alaia with a lot of new responsibilities.

To Alaia, it felt like one day she was a normal kid and the next she was in charge of running a household. She cared for her siblings, making sure they ate dinner and finished their homework. She did the grocery shopping and took a job to help pay the bills. She even cleaned the house and did the laundry to help out her mom.

These new responsibilities left Alaia feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. There was no time to think about anything but making sure her family was okay. She didn’t have time to think about her schoolwork. She used to love playing the clarinet in her school band, but with no time to practice, she was forced to quit. Nothing was the same anymore, and Alaia wondered if she would ever feel like a normal teen again.

Alaia began to consider dropping out of school so she could work full time and provide more support to her family. She mentioned this to one of her teachers at school, and he told her there were other options. And then he told Alaia about Mercy Home.

Nothing was the same anymore, and Alaia wondered if she would ever feel like a normal teen again.

Although Alaia was intrigued by the idea of having a place to go to where she could feel like a kid again, she resisted because she was worried about what might happen to her family if she did. But after several more exhausting weeks, Alaia decided that it was worth looking into Mercy Home.

After a tour, where Alaia learned more about the support Mercy Home provided, she knew that if she had any chance at a successful future, she needed to move in. And she also found out that Mercy Home would provide her family with the support they needed while her father served out his prison sentence.

Now, with six months at Mercy Home under her belt, Alaia feels much more optimistic about the future. With the help of her tutors, she was able to get caught up in school. She has started playing the clarinet again and rejoined the school band. And she has plenty of time to be a teenager, without adult worries weighing on her.

Now, with six months at Mercy Home under her belt, Alaia feels much more optimistic about the future.

Alaia has also been talking to her therapist at Mercy Home about the stressors in her life and learning healthy ways to deal with them. She said that these conversations have taken a huge weight from her shoulders.

I am truly thankful for loving friends like you, who make it possible to give our children one of the most precious gifts they can receive: their childhood back. It is because of your support and prayers that they can look forward to bright futures!

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