A Wish For Each One
The family consisted of four children: twin boys, age 14, a16-year-old girl, and an 18-year-old girl. Dad had died and mom had disappeared for 6 months. She had never been gone this long before so they assumed that she was dead. They had always lived in abandoned housing and had never gone to school.
But now they were desperate. They knew they had to either (a) start to deal drugs, or (b) contact Children and Youth Services, but were afraid of being split up. Otherwise, they needed to (c) talk to us at the home. Meanwhile the younger sister was mentally ill and was getting worse. They were afraid she would commit suicide. They came to talk to us.
Each child was asked what their wish was. The boys' wish was to go to school. We cared for them until they were old enough to go to a Job Corps residential program which included a GED and training in a trade.
The girl who was so ill was placed in a hospital until she could return to her family. Two siblings stayed with her for some time. This girl wanted to get in touch with their father's sister, and a case worker located the woman. In fact, the aunt came to get her at the hospital, got custody, and took her into her home.
Meanwhile the Silence of Mary family and numerous volunteers made the house habitable: everything from electric and clean water to getting rid of the rodents. We had only 8 weeks to do this, since the children would need this house to live in. Then the 18-year old moved in and became the guardian of her siblings.
The oldest girl wanted an education and a job. She got her GED, and later became a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) at a local hospital.
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