ready to graduate from ERA, she brought his sister to enroll in ERA and gain the same tools and skills. They have
both graduated, are doing well, and I’ll let this Mother tell the rest of the Story........"
The Story by an Eagle Ranch Parent:
"I have had an enlightening day and would like to share a story with you.
There once was a little boy who was always unhappy and difficult, he spent
his early years manipulating people to get out of any responsibility and
doing anything he was supposed to.
In the 8th grade this boy hit what we thought was rock bottom. He would
hide under his bed and refused to go to school. His mother was at wits
end.... and when she thought it COULDN'T get any worse, this boy started
hanging out with 40-year old drug addicts and became violent at home.
This boys family suffered, and I mean SUFFERED through 3-1/2 years of severe
problems with this boy, Extreme highs, Extreme lows, running way, total
defiance, in and out of hospitals, dr. appointments, medicines, not taking
medicines. This family even moved their residence 30-miles into the suburbs
in an attempt to help these issues with a new school district and new
friends. This boy would do everything he could to go back to the old
neighborhood without permission and hang out there for days at a time.
Finally the mom made the choice that she could no longer go on the way it
was. She started making calls..... She found ERA. After 9-months, the
staff agreed that this boy was ready to go out to the real world. I
agree with this staff.
He had a rocky time over the next 4-5 months. When you rejoin society and
they don't understand what you know... it's very easy to fall back into what
you "used to do". One night after another argument (or failed argument
since mom no longer argues) this boy left in the middle of the night. I
don't believe what happened over the next 14-15 days was in the plan... I’m
sure of it because he didn't have "a Plan"
This boy is living in a small community much like he adapted to so well at
ERA. He has formed some new friendships with some kids just a couple years
older than him that are LIVING LIFE -- working, going to school, living on
their own. So, even though the boy didn’t have a plan, someone had a plan
for him.
The mom was very distraught when the boy took off that night, sure that he
would go out into the world and do the things he shouldn't instead of having
faith that he had learned the right things to do. THIS MOM WAS WRONG.
15 months ago, I had a drug addict, defiant, irresponsible son.
Today I visited a confidant SOBER young man that has found and kept a job,
has found and kept some good friends that care about him, and a young man
that likes to just hang out with his parents and talk. (The same young man
that took his day off last weekend to spend Mothers Day with his mom for the
first time in 10+ years).
Things are working out just the way they should.
Please forward this to all that should know that without you guys, he would
not be who he is today. And we would not be who we are today to see it.
ps. Angela's doing fantastic -- going to Prom tonight."