“You’re at risk for Compassion Fatigue.”… It supressed my full capacity to love and show empathy. Hope of restoring my vibrant inner being faded.

Before his last offence, he was still asking us if we would take him back when he gets out of the centre. What do you say to your child, who you have always wanted and supported even when he became so unpredictable?

It’s taboo to say it, naming it makes us feel guilty, but this placement changed our lives for the better. It also saved my life.

Consider a dictionary definition of the word holiday: “a day of festivity or recreation when no work is done”. Wow. I am fairly certain that if I go with this definition, I have not had a holiday since 2001 (the last year that I was child free).