This is the third segment in our series, Faces of Mental Health, which gives people an intimate look inside of children’s services. To see our latest story, check us out on Facebook at Youth Dynamics of Montana or People of Youth Dynamics every Tuesday and Thursday night at 5:30pm. You can also catch the stories at youthdynamicsmt on Instagram, or Youth Dynamics of Montana on Linkedin.
“So, I remember when I was five. I remember waking up in the middle of the night to loud sirens. My door swung open and there were red and blue lights outside. I remember being woken up and rushed outside by people in white outfits. I realize now that they were paramedics.
Me and my brother were rushed out of the house, put in a car, and driven to this building. When we got in there, a bunch of pictures and measurements were taken of us. They told us that we were going to be there for a while. They didn’t know what happened with our mom and they didn’t know what happened with our dad. We had no idea what was going on.
We were in this place for about four months. I didn’t see my brother for about four months. They never would really let us see each other. I got stolen from a bunch and my hopes were put up really high.
The one time I really saw my mom was when we were sitting at one of my appointments and she was there. She looked broken. She had just gotten out of jail. My step-dad decided that he was going to harm her; he was really abusive. She ended up shooting him. He went to the hospital for a month and a half and my mom was in jail. We all know it was self-defense.”
