Jesse came to our home Mother's Day weekend in 2002 at the age of 7. He has now celebrated his tenth birthday with us. In his short life, he has had many obstacles to overcome and he continues to struggle with things that are beyond his control. Before coming to us there were no birthday parties, bedtime stories, or desserts after meals. Jesse was born into a family of severe dysfunction and was never properly cared for or treated like the special little boy that he is. He is small, frail, blond–haired, blue–eyed boy, with a multitude of “issues”. That is what he calls his behaviors. There are many different diagnosis for Jesse, mostly stemming from FAE (fetal alcohol effects), ADHD, and genetic cognitive disabilities. Technically, he never had a fair shot. Jesse likes books, Playstation 2, movies, and tries very hard to please others.

Jesse chose to draw our home with the green grass in the front. The rainbow and the shining sun mean that he is happy and feels safe in our home. He wants everyone to know that he has a nice house and family that loves him. We also believe that this signifies that he has hope for his future. He has talked of going to college a nd being a hair stylist. Jesse realizes that he has choices and that there is support for him to succeed at whatever he may choose to do with his life. He has come a long way in the past three years with our guidance; he will continue to overcome the obstacles that are in his path.

Jesse is a survivor and a foster care success story.