Joey's Family has Hope Again - National Letter Writing Day

December 7th is National Letter Writing Day. Letter writing has been in decline because of smartphones, the Internet and before that, the telephone, but for hundreds of years, it was the only way for people separated by distance to get in touch with one another. Today is a great day to get back to basics and hand-write a letter. We are so thankful to share a letter from a family who has recently been helped by Boundless and OhioRISE. 

Written by Joey's Mom, Saun Rose

I wish I could take you for coffee, tea, or a soda and look you in the eyes with heartfelt sincerity to say thank you! Sincerely: THANK YOU!

OhioRISE has saved my son’s life and my family is healing. My 74-year-old father and 72-year-old mother have their smiling healthy grandson back.

Our family was devastated as we watched Joey’s decline. As a mother, I was heartbroken and felt helpless as I navigated the system alone. Joey did not have a psychiatrist for over a year. For the past several years Joey has not had any treatment unless admitted to the hospital via the emergency department.

One night in, overwhelmed after my return from yet another in-patient stay, I scoured the internet and watched Governor DeWine share OhioRISE. I read everything I could and sought to enroll Joey while inpatient. I reached out to Governor DeWine as well. OhioRISE assigned Tonika Robinson from I Am Boundless to Joey and our lives have forever changed. Tonika’s compassion, consistency, and trustworthiness opened the door to our family being hopeful again.

As a mother of a child with severe behavioral health needs, that means everything! I can never thank Tonika for all she has done for us. I Am Boundless RN Tammy Battle, worked diligently to provide a dual diagnosis psychiatrist, Dr. Bakhtier, to Joey.

Kirsten Krummel and Kelli James at I Am Boundless assembled a team to meet Joey’s needs: Kiara, Alix, and Angela. Joni Mitchell and Shannon Hunter listened and invited me to be part of the Family Advisory Council. This would not have been possible without OhioRISE and the vital CANS assessment!

Joey is smiling again. There is laughter in our home. Joey is preparing for college. My son is healing because of you! Your work provides the invaluable resources for our children. Your CANS assessment informs everything! Please hear my heart; THANK YOU! WE NEED YOU! If we forget to thank you or we are overwhelmed and angry, it is because we have needed you for so long. So please, as Tonika did for me, keep calling and rescheduling. Don’t give up on us or our children. OhioRISE is the lifeline we need!