Peter was using drugs to cope with the emotional trauma of a dysfunctional childhood which turned his life upside down. Your donation today can provide people like Peter and his daughter Molly the critical support they need to rebuild their lives.
For some, reaching for a drink or an illicit substance becomes a mechanism to cope with these struggles. Right now, supporting people in need has become more challenging as we are 68% below our fundraising targets for the year. We need your help so we can continue to support those who need it most. One of the people who felt overwhelmed and came to us for support, was Peter* .
Peter is dad to a beautiful little girl Molly*. It was a time when Molly should have been going to dance classes and having playdates with friends. Instead, Peter found himself out of work, homeless, lacking self-worth and addicted to drugs to deal with emotional trauma of his own childhood. Here is Peter’s story:
“It’s a few days before Christmas, and it’s a stinking hot day. Close to 40 degrees.
I’m homeless with my worldly possessions stuffed into two plastic bags.
Oh, and one other thing…I have my six-year-old daughter with me, and when she is not crying herself to sleep, she is asking when we can go back home.
I was at my worst, I had hit rock bottom, wondering how I got here.
I couldn’t do it alone; I was going to need a helping hand to pull us through. To pull me out, to pull us out.
So that day was one of my darkest days – and believe me, I have had plenty of dark times. But it was also a day that I cherish, that I promise myself I will never forget.
Because that day was also the start of my recovery. It was the day I made one of the best and luckiest decisions of my life. I took out my last coins and phoned Odyssey.”
Thankfully from that day, Peter and Molly began to get the support they needed and started their recovery journey.
“As soon as I arrived, I felt safe and exhausted. I had a roof over my head, a chair to sit on, a television to watch, regular meals and people around me willing to give me the tough love that I needed.
I grew up in a family that was unforgiving and extremely hostile.
My father was a monster, who created a sense of terror in our family that cannot be expressed in words.
I was receiving horrific punishments and felt abandoned and betrayed by my mother and my sisters, who were unable to give me any protection. This impacted me for many years to come.
But learning to live again – to really live – with the support of Odyssey was without doubt the hardest thing I have ever done, and my proudest accomplishment.
At Odyssey, every moment of our day is accounted for, slowly, when you show that you’ve earned it and not before, you earn privileges, and you progress through the program.
I learnt to be a parent, I learnt to be a dad. At times this meant wearing make-up, nail polish and dressing up as a princess – if that is what I had to do.
Slowly, slowly back into the world. Slowly and safely.
Odyssey was the only place that would take me in as a single dad with my daughter.
It saved me, and perhaps more importantly, it saved my daughter.”
We know addiction can be life controlling and an inescapable burden, but there is support available. Odyssey NSW can help. We heavily rely on funding from generous people like you, and this year, your donation is needed more than ever.
Every dollar you donate goes towards providing trauma-informed care to families like Peter and Molly.
This includes personal recovery and mental health plans tailored to meet the needs of our vulnerable clients and provide them with an opportunity to:
- Engage more fully in their health care.
- Develop a trusting relationship.
- Improve long-term health outcomes.
This is why the gift you make is so important. Your donation will go a long way to supporting those who need a helping hand.
