We first learned about this young boy through his preschool teacher, who was deeply concerned about his home situation. He was living in extreme instability. His father struggled with heavy alcohol and drug use, and even his grandparents were involved with drugs. After enduring years
of abuse, his mother finally fled for her own safety and has not returned.

Within Hill Tribe culture, if a child’s father or grandparents insist on keeping the child, the mother has no legal or cultural ability to take them. As a result, this little boy was left in a dangerously unsafe environment, with no responsible adults to care for him. At times, his father even mixed
methamphetamine into his food, exposing him to severe harm at a very young age.

He came to GROW Home in 2018. Even then, it was clear that his father’s health had been ravaged by years of substance abuse. Just three months after his son arrived at GROW, his father passed away at only 24 years old. During his first year at GROW, our team rushed him to the hospital almost weekly just to keep him alive. His body was severely malnourished and still suffering from the effects of prolonged drug exposure. Today, the transformation is remarkable. He is healthy, able to eat normal food, and growing stronger every day.