A Mother’s Letter Thanks CHW Hadassim
December 16, 2024
The stress and anxiety created by the war are taking a serious toll on families. Parents are unequipped to deal with the behavioural issues and complex mental health challenges their children are grappling with. Tensions are high, creating rifts in relationships and marriages that are not easily fixed and violence in the home is at an all time high. Our Healing Young Minds campaign is addressing the critical issues around trauma recovery and PTSD treatment, as well as supporting education to provide hope for the future.
The Lea Zev Shilman & Joseph Zunia Shilman Therapeutic Programs at CHW Hadassim Children and Youth Village are supporting at-risk youth. The programs ensure children living in the dorms stay in contact with their parents through specialized therapy sessions and family excursions, while also receiving the emotional, social, and educational support they need to thrive.
Each week CHW Hadassim receives referrals from the Child Welfare Authority. One of those referrals was Adam, who arrived at Hadassim in 2020. We will be sharing journal entries from Adam’s four-year therapeutic journey over the course of a few weeks, so you can better understand the challenging struggles that youth are experiencing. Read his journal entries here.
Adam’s mother, Leah, has watched his progress and reached out to thank CHW with a personal letter:
Dear CHW,
I want to thank you for all you have done for my son, Adam. He is in his fourth year at Hadassim, and the change I have seen in him over the last few years is absolutely incredible. He has good friends, is kind to those around him, and genuinely seems to care about school now. He has matured so much; I am so proud of him.
Adam recently told me about some fitness goals he created for himself, including eating a nutritional diet and working out. He is so disciplined and determined, he has so much perseverance after everything I put him through. He has turned all that stubborn willpower from anger into confidence. I just can’t believe it sometimes.
I know that so much of what is good about Adam now is thanks to his therapy with Shira. I wish he never needed it in the first place, but I was in such a bad place in my marriage, that I didn’t recognize the damage I was inflicting. As a parent, it’s hard to accept the mistakes we make, especially when it comes to our kids.
Adam and I have been doing family therapy for over a year, and we can finally communicate with each other. When he first arrived at Hadassim, all he did was yell at me when I tried to call him. Now we spend hours talking and I am working hard to keep his trust in me.
I don’t know what would have happened to us if Hadassim hadn’t supported us, so thank you for taking care of Adam, and for helping us rebuild our family.
Sincerely,
Leah
A mother’s letter says it all. If you would like to support the campaign and other families like Adam and Leah, you can donate here
