CAITLYN HAD MANY YEARS OF “BAD DAYS” UNTIL YOU GAVE HER A PLACE TO HEAL.
Growing up in a loving home, Caitlyn was an active, happy kid who enjoyed gymnastics, cheerleading, and cross country. She flourished until her early middle school years when she experienced trauma that changed the course of her life. Fearing the worst and not understanding what was happening to her, she hid her pain from her family.
When Caitlyn got to high school, she was determined to stay involved in the sports she loved and even earned a full-ride college scholarship to cheer competitively. Staying active and focused on after-school activities helped her channel the pain and anger she felt from her childhood trauma. But when Caitlyn was introduced to alcohol, she found a new way to deal with the pain of her abuse. Her life began to unravel, and she quit all school activities. Caitlyn felt lost.
By the age of 18, Caitlyn was suffering from addiction to numb the hurt she had been feeling for so many years. After trying different treatment programs to get her life back in order, she was happy to say she was sober and healthy in her early 20s. At the time, she was married and had a young son named Corbin.
But shortly after, she was introduced to harder drugs. The trauma from her past continued to eat away at her, and she only knew one way to make it go away.
This moment is what Caitlyn calls the lowest point of her life. It was then that Child Protective Services took her son and she fell even deeper into her addiction. She was in and out of treatment and halfway houses. She was homeless and felt like nobody wanted her around. But when she became pregnant with her second child, she knew she had to find help and hope that was lasting.
Caitlyn’s road to recovery began when she walked into the doors of Volunteers of America Ohio & Indiana’s Fresh Start Recovery Center. It’s there that she found people like you rooting for her.
Through the program, she was able to keep her daughter with her, avoiding the foster care system as she worked to recover and heal. You gave her a safe place to find hope again.
“It was an environment where I felt safe. I feel as though it’s that environment that propelled me to find my light.”
“I was able to reflect upon myself when I was around other veterans. The group discussions where we talked about our stories were so helpful because we understood each other. It’s a healing experience to be given that space to talk with people who understand.”
Because of your kindness, Amani could heal and find her strength in a safe place.
Today, Caitlyn is celebrating sobriety.
“What was different about VOA was that they fought for you for whatever you needed. When I look at my future, I see endless possibilities”
Caitlyn and her two children are living in a brighter future because you gave them hope.