Spring 2009 eNewsletter

Jezebella's Story

I had the privilege of meeting 13 year old Jezebella several months ago. She fell in love with Parker, our hotel dog. It was an immediate attraction - she clung to Parker and he loved the attention. Over several months she has shared her 10 year journey through the foster care system with me. Her journey is not that rare or unusual and it gives you just a glimpse of what the average foster child goes through. With her permission I am sharing some of it with you.

It began one day when a lady she had never met came to pick up her and her two younger brothers to take them for a "ride." She knew her Mom was not home a lot, had lots of "boyfriends", and there wasn't much to eat in her home but Jezebella was the Mom for her two brothers and she protected them. She was only 4 years old and didn't see her Mom again for a long time. When she did it was in a small room at the DSHS office for supervised visits. She knows her Mom didn't attend the parenting classes, missed lots of the visits, and she never lived with her again. She can remember crying herself to sleep many nights as she missed her Mom so much. After several foster homes her Father was found and she went to live with him. She can remember him taking her out for "ice cream and swimming" but he was actually taking her and sexually abusing her. She eventually told her Grandma and Aunt and fortunately her Aunt believed her and called the police. So another person she trusted betrayed her and she was alone in a new home again. Her two brothers had their own fathers but they did all end up together in a pre-adoptive home in Georgia. The couple wanted to adopt all three of them but when Jezebella started acting out they couldn't take her destructive behaviors and they sent her back to Washington. She has never seen her brothers again or talked to the couple. Another loss in her short life but she is a survivor and she continued to protect herself since no one else was. At the age of 8 she was now in several other foster homes until she lived with Andrea for a year. She liked it at Andrea's and she got to do some horseback riding as her home was in a rural setting. Then they found a distant Aunt of her Mothers that lived in Arizona. She was willing to Adopt Jezebella! Another chance at "a forever home". She went to live with them in Arizona and after 6 months they said they couldn't put up with her anger and disrespect. She was back in Washington at another home. Her social worker talked them into trying it again and she was back with her family in Arizona for another year and a half. Hard as she tried she couldn't always follow their rules and they gave up on her. She was able to return to the rural foster home for a while and now is in a foster home in Gig Harbor.

Despite her hurt, anger, and pain Jezebella is a delight to be with. She is wise beyond her years and as she told me she stopped caring years ago as it hurts too much. When I left her today I asked her what I should tell the people wanting to help build the Homestead. She told me to tell them "to get it done, we need a place where kids like me can stay, be safe, and call home." That is my plea this month that you can help us "get it done" for these very special needy kids.

Will you help us "get it done"? You will make a huge difference by: