FireLink

Just gotta share this.

I've been contemplating for a while weather to post this here or not, but I'm gonna bust if I don't share it soon. 

I think a lot of you know that Steve and I have 6 kids between us (my 4 and his 2) and 4 grandkids and counting.  Our son Sam (sam_56 hrere at Fire Link) who will turn 17 Monday, has had a really crappy life that has led up to his going into the Youth Challenge Academy (http://www.ngycp.org/site/state/mi/)  and I think to get the full gist of it I should share that with you as well.

When I was about 3 months preg for Sammy his Father was in a car accident that broke C-4 and crushed C-3 among other injuries that he never fully recovered from.  While he was in hospital and the halo he was prescribed oxycotin, after about 5 months on oxy the Dr decided to take him off it without treating him for the addiction that he had formed to it.  Long story short we divorced because I wouldn't bend on my beliefs about street or stollen prescribed drugs and alcohol in my house with my kids and he couldn't stop using them.  Sammy's Father kid napped him and made every attempt to change both their apperances and arrange for another state to take him to so that I couldn't find him or get him back.  So I've spent the following 14 years on the lookout for another attempt at that which has been stressful on Sammy too.

Sammy's Father moved from Michigan to Tennessee and rarely saw Sammy.  When I married Steve Sammy was just 6 and for the most part the only Dad Sammy has known. 

Then, our kids ended up in foster care for about half a year and shortly after Sammy came back to live with us Steve was ordered to IRAQ.  Sammy's grades fell from honor roll to failing.  While Steve was gone Sammy's Father moved back to Michigan and decided he needed to be involved with Sammy and he made hallow promisses and when Steve came home dissapeered again. 

In August of 2007 Sammy was preparing for his first day of highschool and getting back into the school time schedule when we got a phone call that his Father had died.  Just sat down in his recliner and stopped breathing.  No Cause Of Death as of yet.  Sammy was just 13 years old.  What he understood is that he looks, walks, talks, and acts just like his Father...his Tather sat down in his recliner, fell asleep and will never wake up again...so if he is so much like his Father without even knowing him....what is to keep him from going to sleep and never waking up again?   So two weeks before he starts highschool he becomes terrified of going to sleep. 

When school ended this spring he was leaving the 10th grade headed into the 11th grade with 8.25 credits and a GPA of 0.05.  Needing 27 to graduate even if he were to pass every class for the next two years and take every summer class and online class allowed he still may not be able to graduate with his class.

We've been hearing about the Michigan Youth Challenge Academy in Battle Creek, Michigan run by the Michigan National Guard but this summer we decided that we needed to really take a look at the program and entertain those thoughts a little more. I am so glad that we did. 

At first he wasn't keen on joining into it.  Then he was and after the first two weeks he begged us to bring him home cause he hated it.  Now he is about to get promoted to PFC and his peers have voted him squad leader and his grades are 2-A's 2-B's and a C.  When he was issued his uniforms upon arrival 07-05-2009 he was issued a 2X and today he is wearing a medium.

Other than taking classes to get his GED he is also taking classes at Vo Tech for cullinary arts and when he graduates in December he will have between 13 and 17 credits from the vo tech.  A requirement for him to graduate from the program is that he has to have a job that will start within 30 days of completion of the program (min of 30 hours even if it has to be combined, but taxable income), in order to achive that he's in a careers class where they teach him to fill out an application, dress and act in interviews and set him up for interviews.  He has requested that I send him applications to the local Fire Departments so he can apply to them for training and employment upon  his return.  (I've also sent him about 2 dozen other applications he has asked for.)  He's also asking questions about EMT's and Paramedics...I am so geeked that he is doing so well. 

I've always been very PROUD of him, but man I'm about to bust at the seems. 

The hard part is that he has to live there while he is in the program.  From a kid that has rarely spent the night anywhere without mom to living there for 5.5 months is getting to me. 

They are not allowed TV, Phone, Gaming systems, radeo, or food outside of the three meals they are served and nothing outside of the dinning room at all.  They are allowed letters and are now being allowed one photo.  They get out of bed at 5 and pt then shower, eat and school till 4.  Dinner and then off to votech till 8ish I think.  There is always the extra PT if they step outta line or mouth off or lean on the walls or....whatever the cadre decide to make them do pt for.  LOL 

I tried to post a picture here but have been unsuccessful so maybe you can take a look at the more recent posted pictures of his progress in the program.

Thank you Shannon.  Just tell him that your a friend from Fire Link so he knows how you know about him.  I'm sure he'll be happy to hear from you. 

Sorry to hear about your trials in life, glad to hear that your doing better with them and adjusting.

Be Safe.