If opposites could have attracted

She's 20 years old. She's been through more than anyone should have to go through in their entire lifetime and she is surviving so far. She was beaten and sexually abused by her father while he was drunk and high on street drugs. Her mother was too drunk and high on drugs that she never came to her defense. She was in three foster homes and homeless. She's the only one in her family to finish high school. She's the only one in her family not to use drugs or alcohol. She thinks she's bipolar because she gets mad at her girlfriend for things she knows she shouldn't be mad about and then feels so bad, that she apologizes. She thinks she's bipolar because both her parents are and her mother, who is "shacking up with some dude" and still high on drugs told her she is.

I told her she needs to be evaluated by a psychiatrist to determine if she's bipolar. I told her anyone who has experienced as much as she has would have mood swings and deep feelings. I told her she's an absolutely amazing person and a survivor. I promised her we'd help her get the help she needs.





She came to the clinic with adoption paperwork that needed to be filled out. The paperwork needs to be signed by a doctor saying she doesn't have any mental illness, and she is basically a healthy person. She's in the process of adopting a 7 month old baby that has been in her foster care since he was 4 months. This baby will need a bone marrow transplant as soon as the adoption goes through. She's hoping to move the process along so she and her husband can help save his life.

Her husband works with homeless youth and she used to be the director of a food bank. They've cared for a total of 14 foster babies in their home. She got these babies from women who would come to the food bank and couldn't care for their babies. She didn't have them long enough to get very attached, except for one baby. This baby lived with them for 9 months and was finally sent to live with her grandmother. "This baby will always be my baby", she says. She and her husband have also adopted their nephew. She says because of state budget cuts financial help will be cut off for people like her who adopt very medically challenging babies. She and her husband have no medical insurance. I told her she has a beautiful big heart.

I wish this first patient, born into a family full of hate had had a guardian angel like this woman, so full of love.