“My parents left me, now my aunty doesn’t want me….Is it my fault?” When Jamie was six years old, his father beat him so badly he ended up in hospital. What’s more, he hadn’t seen his mother for years. And at just eight, his aunty dumped him at the police station, “You keep him. I don’t want him,” she told the police “I’m sick of him”.
“My parents left me, now my aunty doesn’t want me….Is it my fault?” When Jamie was six years old, his father beat him so badly he ended up in hospital. What’s more, he hadn’t seen his mother for years. And at just eight, his aunty dumped him at the police station, “You keep him. I don’t want him,” she told the police “I’m sick of him”.Wesley Mission first met Jamie at the police station where his aunty dumped him. Jamie was taken to a Wesley Foster Care Services residential centre for children in crisis. Unsurprisingly he was angry; he had never experienced love. He rarely spoke and not once did we see him smile. Then our youth worker Tony taught Jamie to swim in the surf. With the waves splashing and the water too deep to stand, Jamie began to trust, and share. An amazing little boy came to the surface.
It had taken seven years but Jamie had finally learnt what it meant to be properly loved. Jamie is living proof of our work and the power of unconditional love. You should see him smile today.
For Wesley Mission keeping families together is a vital step in their long term success. Sadly in cases like Jamie’s this isn’t possible.
When families fall apart, Wesley Mission wants to be there to pick up the pieces. When relationships fail, children like Jamie are often the innocent victims. Showing Jamie new hope is yet another example of how Wesley Mission helps struggling families 365 days a year.