The Childhelp Children’s Advocacy Center Is Aiding Victims of Abuse
The first time Julie Morris met her adopted son Zachary, at a Phoenix hospital in 2010, the little boy climbed into her lap.
Zachary, who was 5 at the time, had been beaten, denied food, and isolated by an abusive adoptive mom. Examination by a physician from the local chapter of Childhelp Children’s Advocacy Center, a national organization that provides support for child-abuse victims, revealed that Zachary struggled with language delays and extreme anxiety— he was afraid of everything from loud noises to baths. Despite the challenges facing Zachary, Julie and her husband, Jim, agreed to take him in. The couple, who have fostered around 40 kids since 1996, have always gravitated toward older and medically fragile ones, in part because Julie once worked as a caregiver for disabled children. “I feel a bond with people with special needs,” she says.
Julie and Jim knew that Zachary, like most of the kids they’d cared for, required extra soothing in addition to having medical needs. Because Zachary had previously been denied food, the Morrises paid special attention to him at mealtime. They allowed him to eat off their plates and assured him that he would always have access to food. When he was frightened, Julie held him close until he calmed down. For a little boy who had been starved for attention, the simple gestures of love and trust proved powerful. “Nurturing and safety were our primary goals,” Julie explains. Eventually Zachary’s bruises healed. Weekly sessions with Childhelp trauma therapists eased his speech delays and anxiety. The Morrises adopted him in 2013.
Today, Zachary is an outgoing 15-year-old with a love of basketball and a heart of gold. He sees a school therapist as needed, but his parents say he’s a well-adjusted kid. Zachary’s abusive former adoptive mother is now serving prison time in Arizona.
The Morris family, who now live in Castle Rock, CO, currently have five children at home, including Zachary, three other adopted kids, and one foster child. Julie sees a megawatt future for Zachary, despite his difficult start. “He’s secure, he’s happy, he’s well-adjusted,” she says. “That’s all we could ever want.”
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