I never imagined that my family would be the subject of a letter like this.
Yet here I am, writing to you as the grateful parent of a young man who’s been given a second chance at life, thanks to the dedicated work of the Sir David Martin Foundation and Triple Care Farm.
I’ve decided to share my story because I know that my experience is shared by so many Australian families – families from all walks of life.
Both my sons went to good schools. David was captain of his primary school and voted ‘boy most likely to succeed’. Later at a private grammar school, he was popular, healthy and happy. He was actively involved in sport at school and at state representative levels.
The future was looking bright for my boy - but you never know what life has in store for you. Very soon, David had a cannabis habit and a drug-induced mental illness.
I continue to ask myself what happened – how did a young man with so much end up on drugs and with his life in tatters? Was it my divorce or the dislocated shoulder that dashed his dreams of representing his country in water polo? Was it the horror of being a passenger in a serious car accident when he was 17?
For whatever reason, David turned to cannabis and the drug just took him over. He stopped taking care of himself, was unemployed and unmotivated. He sat alone in his unit all day, every day. We despaired as this once happy and confident young man experienced mood swings, angry outbursts and desperate highs and lows. My son was talking suicide – pleading with me to lock him up somewhere and throw away the key – and rejecting all offers of help.
I had become the frantic mother in every parent’s worst nightmare.
For five years, there were sleepless nights and fruitless calls to drug and alcohol hotlines. There were desperate visits to psychologists, drug counselors, psychiatrists – all of whom gave us different and often conflicting advice. Worst of all – what frustrated and angered me most as a mother – was being told by ‘the system’ that because my son was over 18, I no longer had the right to want to help him. Hard as it was sometimes, I refused to give up. I refused to believe that my beautiful boy was lost to drugs forever.
And then, in the nick of time, David was referred to Triple Care Farm.
This extraordinary youth crisis facility restored hope in my son and brought joy back into all our lives.
David spent three months in the safe, caring environment of Triple Care Farm, away from the influences that were ‘normalising’ his habit. He learnt important living skills, regained his self esteem and discovered a passion for welding. For the first time in years he was drug free, taking responsibility for himself and feeling confident about his future.
You can feel very proud of what you and The Sir David Martin Foundation are doing for families in crisis – families like mine.
Today, David is still cannabis-free and has learnt to manage his mental illness. He’s in a strong relationship, in stable accommodation and has enrolled in a welding course at TAFE. The staff at Triple Care Farm maintain an interest in David’s progress and are in regular contact with him. He readily talks about how the program turned his life around.