Second Chances
In the span of ten short days, Madison lost her dad to a heat stroke and had her newborn son, Parker, taken into foster care due to her meth addiction. She was at her lowest.
The death of her father and having a child born with drugs in his system forced Madison to reevaluate her life. “I just lost everything in one fell swoop. It was one of the hardest months of my life,” said Madison. “I didn’t really have a whole lot of people I could depend on.”
Madison was constantly worried about Parker. In those first days he was in foster care, she didn’t know if he was safe or healthy. While mourning the loss of her father and custody of her baby, she was desperate to turn her life around.
Parker was placed in a loving, Christ-centered home with ABCH foster parents Joe and Dianah while Madison was given time to turn her life around.
“When Dianah and Joe reached out to me . . . I felt incredibly lucky,” said Madison. “Their intentions were for him to come home and for me to know that he was loved while I was doing what I needed to do. You just can’t imagine how comforting that was. I knew they loved him . . . that helped me focus on what I needed to focus on, which was getting my life together.”
“We just really looked at this as an opportunity to love that whole family,” said Dianah. They did all they could to support Madison. They prayed for her every day. They consistently shared pictures of Parker with Madison to give her hope and motivation on her hardest days. Since it was during the pandemic, they utilized Zoom calls so she and Parker could see each other. They were there for her during a time when she felt hopeless and alone.
Over the course of two years, Madison went to rehab, found a steady job, and secured a stable place of her own for Parker to return to. She took every class and training required by DHR. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without them,” Madison said. “I just want to stress how important Dianah and Joe were to this journey because I don’t think I would’ve made it without them.”
“[God] really just provided us . . . a front row seat to witness miracles that we would not otherwise get to see,” Dianah shared about seeing God working in Madison. “It's been a huge blessing in our life just to see the amazing things that God does.”
Even after Madison was reunited with Parker, she continues to keep in touch with Joe and Dianah. She sends them pictures, just like Dianah did when Parker was in her care. They still talk and see each other. “I want [Parker] to know how many people loved him his whole life . . . and how many people it took for him to get to where he is now,” Madison shared.
The two-year time frame Parker spent in foster care allowed Madison to focus on being the mom she desperately wanted to be. Today, they are reunited and thriving.
“I’m honestly happier than I have ever been,” Madison shared. “[Parker] brings so much joy and laughter to everyone around him. He’s so funny. He has so much love that he pours out.”
You can help give struggling moms like Madison a second chance. Not everyone is called to foster, but everyone can do something. To learn more, visit here.