- Pin it
- SubscribeUnsubscribe
- Embed
Jennifer Ayers hasn't added a story.
Angelyn came to live with us at the age of 6. We were her 5th foster home and had plans to adopt her. The adoption process took 2 years and we were able to adopt her at the age of 8.
Due to having to be taken from her biological home at the age of 4 and the multiple placements after that, Angel developed RAD, or Reactive Attachment Disorder. This disorder is the result of 'brain injury' caused by the attachments to her biological family being broken. Being removed from her biological family hindered proper brain development and maturation. Angel also suffered from neglect and different types of abuse while in foster care and had been also diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, BiPolar Disorder, OCD, and ADHD.
Life with a RAD child is not easy. They try to deflect every move that the adoptive family makes to show them love and care. These children will offen suffer from extreme rages that last from 3-5 hours and which often result in her being transported to Valley Hospital. Angelyn is both verbally and emotionally abusive towards both Matt and I and her brother. When having to restrain her during her rages so that she doesn't hurt herself physically, we have been hit, kicked, punched, and bitten. She has also threatened suicide and has to be restrained so that she cannot follow through. Did we say that life with a RAD child is not easy?
Angel's biggest fear is being loved and accepted into a family and rejected all over again. Because of this, she tries to control our home, our family, and her brother which has caused a lot of heart ache. SHE REJECTS OUR LOVE.
RAD has also inhibited her learning because she does not have the proper neurological connections to insure understanding despite a higher than average IQ. Sitting in class and trying to concentrate is torment and she does everything within her power to get out of it.
After visiting with Angelyn in the Juvenile Detention Center (she has been there for almost 2 weeks because she ran away from our home) Matt and I, and our team of therapists, have decided that it is not safe for her to return home. We fear that she will repeat her runaway attempt or worse. We feel that it is best that Angel attend Changing Hearts Boarding School in North Carolina which is a school for girls with RAD. This school focuses on helping girls heal and finding their identity within Christ. There, she will receive schooling and intense therapy until October. In October, we will be reunited in Dayton, TN for Turning Point Camp where we will go through more intense therapy and training in order to bond and form attachments. Families who attend Turning Point Camp have an 85% success rate. Most leave from the camp with healthy children and a united family.
So, what happens if she doesn't recieve the therapy she needs? She will most likely find herself in the prison system, possibly a prostitute, unable to be a productive member of society, and living on welfare. Some who are not healed from RAD become serial killers. In extreme situations, adoptions of children with RAD result in disruption in which the adoptive parents and siblings are abused so much that they must place the child back in foster care for their own survival. Our biggest fear is that terms like 'psychopath' and 'sociopath' that have been used to describe Angelyn's future will come to fruition if the proper therapy is not gotten.
We want to see Angel grow, thrive, and healed so that she can live the life that God prepared for her. We are asking that you join with us to change Angel's story....help her become steadfast in Christ so that she can learn to love and trust again.
Highlights
See all activity2Activity
Delete media item?
Delete this item from the media gallery? It will also be deleted from any related story update.
Set as ?
The campaign video will appear in social media and email.
The campaign cover picture will appear in social media and email.
The will appear at the top of your campaign page and in social media and email.
Reset ?
It will be removed from the top of your campaign and won't be used as default in social media and email. The will remain in the media gallery.
Embed
Share a link
Delete update
Delete this story update?
Any pictures or videos will remain in the campaign's media gallery.
Report campaign
Report submitted
Thank you. We take reports like yours very seriously. Our goal is to keep the community safe.
Please know that we may contact you for more information, but that we won't notify you personally of our decision. If the campaign remains available within a few days, it's likely that we determined it not to be in violation of our policies.
Thank you. We've already received your previous report. If the campaign remains available within a few days, it's likely that we determined it not to be in violation of our policies.
Tell us about the problem. Please fill in both fields below.
Record a video
Upload a video
Nothing grabs attention for your cause like a personal video. Take a minute or two to record one now. Record a short video message of support. Or upload one from your device. You can preview or redo your video before you post it.
Nothing grabs attention for your cause like a personal video. Upload a short video message of support. Upload a short video message of support. Or record one right now.
- Most effective video length: about a minute.
- Maximum length: 5 min.
- You can preview or redo your video before you post it.
Heads up! The existing video will be replaced.
Email your friends
Join our team
Tell people why our cause matters to you. Your personal message will encourage others to help. Easy, effective, optional.
Say it in video
Short personal videos by supporters like you are incredibly powerful. Record one right now and you'll help us raise more money. Easy, optional, effective.
Add a personal goal
Set a personal fundraising goal. You'll encourage more contributions if you do. And rest easy. There's no obligation to achieve your goal or bad consequences if you don't. Easy, optional, effective.
We have a video!
Video thumbnail
We'd love to show you our campaign video. Want to take a look?
, you're already on the team.