Ashlynn Dreams Again

September 23, 2026

Ashlynn would do anything to avoid going home.

For most kids, home was a safe place to return to at the end of each day. But for Ashlynn, home was the most dangerous place she knew.

It hadn’t always been like this, but as soon as Ashlynn’s mom started dating someone new, everything changed. Her mother’s boyfriend moved into their house very quickly after the relationship started, and he made it clear that he didn’t like Ashlynn at all.

At first, he was just impatient with her. He didn’t like it if she left any of her things around or if she was too loud in the house.

Then the yelling started. He always seemed angry with Ashlynn, no matter what she did. It seemed like he was angry just because she lived in the same house with him.

And eventually, things got physical. Her mother was powerless to stop her boyfriend from hitting Ashlynn and refused to kick him out of the house. Ashlynn constantly lived in terror of what might set him off.

Ashlynn had no idea how to protect herself from her mother’s boyfriend. She was too small to fight back. There wasn’t anywhere in the house where she could hide from his wrath. She was too ashamed to tell anyone what was happening or let them see the bruises he left all over her. She withdrew from her friends, choosing to isolate herself instead.

Living in constant fear exhausted Ashlynn. She was having a hard time concentrating in school. And at night, instead of going home, she would wander the streets, hoping she could stay out late enough that both her mom and her boyfriend would be asleep by the time she got home. More and more often, she stayed out nearly all night and didn’t sleep at all.

Sometimes Ashlynn daydreamed about what it would be like to escape her current situation and live in a loving, safe home. But she didn’t let herself dream too often because the situation seemed hopeless.

One of Ashlynn’s teachers noticed that Ashlynn’s personality had drastically changed. It wasn’t like her to not do her schoolwork or socialize with the other kids. She began to gently inquire about Ashlynn’s home life.

Finally, everything became too much for Ashlynn to bear and she decided to confide in her teacher. She told her about the abuse going on in her home, and how scared she was. And while she appreciated her teacher’s listening ear, she didn’t expect her to be able to do anything about it.

But Ashlynn’s teacher surprised her. She told her that she knew about a safe place where Ashlynn could live without having to worry about getting hit: Mercy Home.

Ashlynn didn’t hesitate; she knew that she wanted to move in right away. But even though she was finally in a safe place, she still needed to deal with the trauma she endured. She was still embarrassed to share with our coworkers and the other girls what she had gone through. At first, she was very quiet and didn’t talk much with anyone.

But over time, she began to realize that Mercy Home really was a safe place, not just physically but also emotionally, and she could share her story with others who understood what she had been through. Once Ashlynn felt safe opening up to others, that’s when the real change began.

She began working with her therapist to overcome the trauma she endured at home. She also met regularly with a tutor to help her catch up on her schoolwork.

Ashlynn has been at Mercy Home for nearly a year now, and she can’t believe all that she has accomplished during her time here. She is proud that she has brought her grades back up to A’s and B’s. And she no longer feels isolated. Instead, she has many friendships with both her classmates at school and the other young ladies at Mercy Home.

And most importantly, Ashlynn has begun to dream again—but she no longer needs to dream for a safe place to live! Instead, she is dreaming about her future, just like every child should have the opportunity to do.

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