Todd never grasped how bad things were. He was just 11 years old and this was life as he knew it. Taking care of himself and his mom was normal to him. His Mom had full custody and his dad was an alcoholic who had little contact with him.  

Todd's mom told him that she needed to take injections each day for diabetes. What Todd soon learned was that his mom didn't have diabetes, and the "insulin" she was injecting was actually heroin.

It didn't take long for Todd's circumstances to change. Because he was severely neglected, the courts stepped in and he was removed from his home in Ohio.  Fortunately, Todd had a caring and compassionate aunt in Tampa. Aunt Stacy  

drove to Ohio and was granted temporary custody. She brought Todd back to Florida to live with her while his mom rehabilitated.  

Stacy knew that Todd was traumatized because of the neglect he experienced, coupled with separation from his mom and the unexpected move to Florida. She turned to the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay for help.  Todd had been covered by Medicaid in Ohio, but the move to Florida meant he had to go through a lengthy Medicaid approval process. Stacy was able to cover some of the therapy costs but wasn't able to afford the new expense of $90 per session.

This didn't prevent Stacy from receiving the help she and Todd needed. A few months earlier, a number of generous Crisis Center donors had contributed to a campaign to fund child trauma counseling for low income families. The Crisis  

Center knew that Todd needed help. Both Todd and his aunt were seen by a Master's level intern and Todd was given the tools he needed to cope with the trauma he had experienced. Stacy was so thankful that she recently stopped by the Crisis Center and filled up the treasure chest that kids visit after their counseling sessions.

You can help children in our community who have experienced severe emotional trauma by making a donation to the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay today. Just click HERE