In celebration of ATN’s 2016 Angels in Adoption award, we’re profiling ATN members who have helped ATN win the award — and who have themselves been Angels to families and children.
By: Laura Dennis
Well, at the beginning, Jane made a difference to me just by being in the same state! As most ATN members know, good help for trauma and RAD are hard to come by, and in some states, the lack of resources is almost criminal. This is one of those states.
I’m not sure either of us were even involved with ATN when we first met, but Jane has been an incredible sister-mom, supporter, and friend. She has read screens and screens of emails in which I have vented anger and frustration at the hand my son and family have been dealt. She has also read the frustratingly few messages in which I feel we can celebrate a victory. Jane helped my non-trauma-challenged daughter find out if a once-held dream was right for her by hosting her while she attended a summer ballet academy.
We have shared coffees, lunches, stories, and tears. I have long since lost count of the number of times she has come up ideas for as-yet-untried (by me, anyway!) therapies and parenting techniques. Moreover, she possesses a unique combination of legal knowledge, mom-in-the-trenches expertise, and a gift with words that all come together to make her an invaluable ally not just for my family, but to this incredible community of all families whose lives have been forever altered by attachment disorders and childhood trauma.
Bless you, Jane. I couldn’t have made it this far without you.
Can you think of someone who has been an ATN Angel? Join the celebration by sending us your nomination here: https://www.attachmenttraumanetwork.org/atnangel/.
