Deb, Texas Mom

n 1987 we adopted two siblings, brother and sister. The children suffered greatly thru physical, emotional and sexual abuse. Son, Patrick was 3 weighed 22 pounds and daughter, Tina was 2 weighed about 18 pounds. Without going into a long history of details.....thru years of unsuccessful therapy, our children at ages of 14 and 15 were finally Dx with Attachment Disorder (say what? we never ever heard that term before) Because of the lateness of the dx, therapy didn't begin until just 2 and a half years ago with experienced RAD therapists. Our daugher is on the road to healing. In December of 2000 she was discharged from therapy. Much of what we deal with day to day is the norm of teen age life(she is now 16), she is also forming good relationships with both my husband and I, becoming more emotionally close to us that the normal teenager who is pulling away from parents becoming more independent. At this point when someone asks, "Do you know where your children are tonight?" I can say "Yeap, at home with me."

Our son on the other hand has not been so successful. He is currently under the conserveratorship of the State of Texas in a RTC for juvenile sexual offenders and is treatment for attachment issues as well as birth mother issues. The State of Texas has been a wonderful support to us thru this difficult time. Our son has made some progress, its slow, and time is running out as he turns 18 in September 2001, at which time he can be discharged from care and on his own. So I ask that if you have time, please pray that he will make wise choices: stay in school, be successful in school and continue his treatment program. The state has agreed if he makes a commitment to these, they will continue to be a source of support to his life til he graudates High School at age 20.