A Life Stolen Far Too Quickly; Unhappy Truths of Foster Care
I don’t need to write this. I don’t need to give it some thought… however it’s necessary I achieve this…
Years in the past a child named Austin reached out to me on Instagram asking if I may present him with a skateboard, and typically I may inform he simply wanted somebody to speak to.
He had been in foster care as a result of his household wasn’t succesful or keen to look after him, and he was scared to stick with them.
At 18 he “aged out of the system”. His foster care household wasn’t going to undertake him, and he was compelled to maneuver into his grandma’s trailer. I drove an hour north of ATL to carry him a skateboard and skate.
The trailer park he was staying in made the part 8 housing complexes in ATL seem like the Ritz. Once I obtained there I wanted to make use of the restroom, and he reluctantly let me in. I instantly realized why he was reluctant as his grandma was smoking meth on the sofa.
I gave him a board, and had a session. I drove up there a couple of extra instances to skate with him and his mates and hangout, and I put him on the skate staff. One time we obtained lunch at a sit down restaurant, nothing fancy however not quick meals.
He stated I can’t afford to eat right here, to which I replied: I obtained it. He had by no means eaten at a sit down (non quick meals) restaurant earlier than.
The final time I noticed Austin was once I picked him up and introduced him to our home so he may skate at our annual Skater Claus board giveaway.
Once I obtained up within the morning and went downstairs he was vomiting right into a trash can and informed me he wanted an ambulance. I didn’t know, however he was a sort 1 diabetic, and he stated he hadn’t taken his insulin in a very long time as a result of he couldn’t afford it.
He left in an ambulance & I by no means noticed him once more. A good friend of his that I met whereas skating in his hood messaged me and informed me he handed away.
He was actually too poor to reside.
On a regular basis my spouse and I remorse the truth that we didn’t simply undertake him as quickly as we met him. We may of put him on our insurance coverage.
It should perpetually hang-out me.
Similar time, shit like this is the reason Skater Claus exists. I simply went to select up my 3y/o son and on the best way I gave out meals and sleeping luggage to a number of homeless people, perhaps that can hold them alive on this chilly world.
RIP to Austin
I’ll at all times want there was one thing extra I may of performed… however his legacy will reside on as a result of we’re dedicated to by no means have one thing like that occur once more if we may help it.
DO YOUR PART: https://www.kvc.org/weblog/5-ways-to-help-a-child-in-foster-care/