“Danica” knew from a young age that her parents hadn’t wanted to take care of her. She had spent most of her upbringing with her grandmother, who took good care of her, but the knowledge that her parents had rejected her hung over Danica like a dark cloud.
When Danica was a teenager, her biological mother decided to try to regain custody of Danica, and a tense court case began. But before long, Danica’s mom admitted in court that she had changed her mind and couldn’t handle Danica’s behavior. Danica was deeply hurt. In her anger, she ran away from her grandmother’s house, and while searching for a place to stay, ended up being abused.
Danica returned back home to her grandmother, and as soon as she returned, her grandmother knew they both needed help. Her grandmother brought her to Second Story to Teens in Crisis where Danica worked on her anger and the two of them went to family counseling. They focused on building a stronger relationship and Danica talked through the years of hurt and abandonment she’d felt from her mom, the trauma she’d experienced after running away, and how to better manage her emotions. Danica is now working on graduating from high school and finding a job so she can move out and become self-sufficient.
