Trauma Services: Grayson's Story
Our Trauma Services help parents and children who have experienced distressing events. This treatment can overlap with other programs and is available to all ages. Meet Grayson, one of our brave little ones, who was able to find hope with his mother after working with Savio.
Shortly after Grayson was born, his mother held him in arms of uncertainty. She was sixteen years old and had no idea how to raise a child while she was still growing up herself. Amidst fears, this mother and son had comfort that things could be okay. Mom’s parents were loving and supportive; they were ready to help their daughter and grandson succeed against all the odds that many teenaged parents face. Seven years later, Grayson had grown to be a bright-eyed little boy who loved starting each day with a hug from Mom, Grandma, and Grandpa. Even though life had its ups and downs, they had each other. Mom, now in her early 20s, was discovering more about who she was all while balancing common emerging adult learning curves of job searches, financial responsibilities, and preparing to find her own place to live; having the extra parental help with Grayson made navigating this part of her journey far easier.
Everything changed one summer morning when the family was driving home from the store. In a split moment of time, an accident caused Grayson to lose his grandparents forever, and Mom lost her only support system. One day of tragedy brought with it a flood of large-scale trauma for Grayson, and tremendous lost feelings for his mother. Overwhelmed with the reality of being a sole caretaker for her son, Mom left town and placed Grayson in the care of kinship. As time passed, Grayson’s struggles in response to the disaster became apparent--nightmares, tummy aches, and extreme fearfulness were all regular occurrences. With exhaustion each day from caregivers and case workers, it was clear Grayson needed help returning to the joyful little boy he was once before. Savio’s Trauma Systems Therapy (TST) program helps young people heal the wounds of deeply distressing experiences of all kinds. Since Grayson’s world was colored by major losses of death and abandonment, this initiative was a perfect fit.
Starting this form of therapy led to noticeable results right away. His outlook on the world around him became braver each day. As he progressed in his journey, Mom was coping with her experience of the loss in her own way and started to make regular monthly calls with Grayson to check in. Each exchange brought brief joy but also confusion as to why Mommy wasn’t there with him. As treatment entered its final stages, Grayson had the opportunity to draw out his past experiences to take back his story with the knowledge that he had a voice that mattered moving into the future. His therapist gazed upon his picture with care and asked, “What is your biggest dream?” Grayson paused thoughtfully with a crayon in hand. “I just want my family back together again,” he responded before tearfully coloring again. Grayson shared his vulnerable feelings during his next mother-son call.
A couple of weeks later, kinship heard a light knock at their door and couldn’t believe their eyes. Grayson’s mom came back…and Grayson ran into her arms. Mom had decided to reunite with her son and finish TST treatment together, addressing her emotional wounds while supporting Grayson’s final stages of healing his own. By the final session, Mom had regained custody. In their final hour of therapy, they knew that they still had a long ways to go but felt safe in the knowledge that they had gained skills to feel empowered and that by sticking together, they wouldn’t have to face anything scary alone.
