In celebration of Mother’s Day, we’re sharing Amanda’s inspirational story of hope, resilience, and self-advocacy. Read on to discover how, against all odds, Amanda and her daughter Tyler found their way back to each other with the support of Amethyst Place.
“Tyler is my oldest, and through a period of active addiction, I lost custody of her and her brothers to DFS. She was eight years old at the time. I signed over my rights because I couldn’t provide them with the stability they needed. I thought I was doing the right thing at that time. For years, I had no contact, just updates. Her adoptive pare
nts raised her from eight to 15 years old. Then, two years ago, they reached out to me, asking if Tyler could come live with me.
She had been struggling and wanted an opportunity to come back and get to know me. Tyler ended up coming home to me at Amethyst Place, and I can’t even describe how that felt. I lost it. I never thought I’d have the chance to know my children before they were adults. And now, my baby Tyler is back home.
I was ecstatic that Amethyst Place agreed to let her come here. Bringing her home was the best feeling in the world because I got the chance to be her mom again.
Raising a teenager hasn’t been easy. It’s taken a while for us to rebuild our relationship. What I love most about her is that she’s not afraid to stick up for herself or anyone she loves. I love her personality. I love how we can be goofy together. She’s a good kid and an amazing person.
Tyler’s a strong advocate for herself. Tyler fought hard for homeschooling, and she’s thriving. She ended last semester with A’s and B’s. I can’t argue with that.
Many of our battles stem from me trying to push her to achieve better in life. But I’ve learned that I can only suggest, not push. I just want her to have the opportunity to live freely, without being tied down by anything. I had her young at 19 and was unable to live my life like others in my 20s. I don’t regret it, but I’ve always wondered what if.
We’ve overcome a lot, especially my guilt and blame for the past. Rebuilding our relationship has been beautiful, almost miraculous.
I want people to understand that there’s hope, even if you’ve signed your rights away. When we continue to do the right thing and when we work on ourselves, we get the opportunities, or the miracles, that we never saw coming. My daughter coming home to me was a pure miracle.” – Amanda, mother and recovery warrior
Thank you for helping us bring families home to heal at Amethyst Place!
To read Amanda’s journey to Amethyst Place, click here.