For all of you who were so nice to have responded to my call for help last week,
I`d like to update you on the situation.
The original post is here.http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2010/5/6/195923/8348
I had told you that I would forward the link to your comments, to the father.
I have been in touch with him throughout the past week, & tonight,
I have good but also sad news, temporary, I hope.
The father just left my house & told me that his son was removed from the family home,
to be transported to a residential treatment location.
He`d called first to say he was coming to pick up the family dog, Buddha
I was taking care of Buddha since the escalation of the situation in the family home
He`s quite sad to have had to resort to this heartbreaking decision,
but does wish to thank everyone for helping him see what he already saw, although,
through glasses fogged by loving fatherhood.
Personally, I would like to thank you so very sincerely for having come to my aide to help a friend.
I also would like to reiterate the relationship I had with this young man.
As proof of this, I will tell you what I was told tonight, by the father.
The transport team, (those in charge of taking the young man, from A to B)
were in touch with the father, at different points/times of the journey.
At one point, he was allowed to briefly talk to his son.
During that conversation, he specifically requested that I personally be allowed to take care of
all his exotic cactus & succulents, that he was so proud of & that I`d helped him with.
As a matter of fact, (and as you`d know, if you read the original post) the last time I talked with him,
was by his invitation to come over to see his fresh blooms, & to photograph them.
That means so much to me, & I believe the father was also impressed, that his son cared about his interests, over hating. (That`s not the right word, but I don`t know how to pick the “right” one.
The mom & dad now have the beginning of their new lives back.
It sounds great, but I`m sure is filled with sadness, for the time being.
Many times during our conversations over the past week, your comments & advice was referred to, in grateful terms.
Thank you for stepping up & taking your valuable time to help a stranger.
I know you all did this for nothing in return, but you shall reap a hundredfold what you`ve sown.
I will bring more updates over time.
These are photos I took the last time I spent time with my young friend last week.
As you can see, he is quite adept with his green thumb & how to bring beauty out, simply with a seed.
I`m sure he too will blossom.
I will not let him do otherwise.
That`s what friends are for.
Thank you.
what beautiful plants!!! thank you for this update. hoping for the best for everyone, and especially for the young man a long life full of beauty.
Thank you Errol,
He`s a bright young boy with problems that hopefully he can overcome.
He`s an animal lover & loves to grow exotic plants, & is very good at it.
He studies all the plants he works with.
Now hopefully he`ll study about his place in the scheme of things & grow to blossom into what I know he has the potential to.
Thanks for the encouragement.
He really is a nice young man, albeit, very troubled.
.
Best of luck, I’m always hopeful the best of a person will ultimately prevail. Seeing his love for plants and animals gives me that hint he may recover when treated and surrounded with the right care. Thank you knucklehead for caring and sharing.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."Oui,
No, Thank You.
I believe all the responses to my plea for help & advice, helped immensely, in the decision to seek outside help.
I discussed this with the dad.
I explained how people took their time to voice their sympathy & opinion, & that it was 100% supportive.
I pled that if this many people, mostly anonymous strangers, could all have these feelings, they must then have credible merit.
What Oui said….this seems to be a young man with many good qualities, I hope that he’ll be able to thrive with the right help, and I’m glad the family is getting him the help he needs.
.
Listened to a radio program discussing the development of the brain during adolescence and an exhibition in the city of Haarlem: “The Teener Brain”. Mighty interesting …
New imaging studies are revealing–for the first time–patterns of brain development that extend into the teenage years. Although scientists don’t know yet what accounts for the observed changes, they may parallel a pruning process that occurs early in life that appears to follow the principle of “use-it-or-lose-it:” neural connections, or synapses, that get exercised are retained, while those that don’t are lost. While it’s known that both genes and environment play major roles in shaping early brain development, science still has much to learn about the relative influence of experience versus genes on the later maturation of the brain.
Prior to this study, research had shown that the brain overproduced gray matter for a brief period in early development–in the womb and for about the first 18 months of life–and then underwent just one bout of pruning. Researchers are now confronted with structural changes that occur much later in adolescence. The teen’s gray matter waxes and wanes in different functional brain areas at different times in development. For example, the gray matter growth spurt just prior to puberty predominates in the frontal lobe, the seat of “executive functions”–planning, impulse control and reasoning. In teens affected by a rare, childhood onset form of schizophrenia that impairs these functions, the MRI scans revealed four times as much gray matter loss in the frontal lobe as normally occurs.
A gov. study childhood schizophrenia
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."Your young friend certainly has talent and an obvious love of beauty. Let’s hope this rocky point is only a momentary stretch on his long journey through life.
Thanks Indianadem,
And lets hope his life journey IS long.
Thanks for the news, KH. I do think it’s good news – an opportunity for all to learn that we’re not perfect and are never alone.
I hope the young man will welcome this chance and continue to nurture and share his creativity.
Alice,
Yes, I also absolutely believe it`s good news.
I hope my young friend will (recognize) this chance.
Thanks for the update, I think it is very hopeful.
I have an update too, as I spoke about my grandson in the other diary. He has gone to stay with his father, and the outcome has been very positive. He’s going to work every day with Dad, reading books(something he has never done), doing homework and seems to be 100% different. Dad is keeping a very firm hand on him and I think that is what he needed, mixed with lots of love.
I don’t think it would have worked like this sooner as he was not ready, but at just this time it is working.
Best wishes to all!!!