Each staff member at Golden Girl Group Home can tell you about the successes they see every day. Some are small victories, and some are large. But together, they help our girls build a solid foundation for their future.
Below is a true story about one girl's journey. For her privacy, we have not included any identifying information.
A Girl's Dream Comes True!
Lots of little girls make wishes, and sometimes dreams DO come true! One of our girls dreamed of swimming with dolphins and this summer, the Make-a-Wish Foundation made it happen.
In August, she flew to Key Largo, Florida, accompanied by our Golden Girl nurse, Shirley Olson
and Tammy Fuller, R.N., who was responsible for nominating Shana for the trip. When she learned that the girl's panhypothyroidism made her eligible for Make-a-Wish, Tammy eagerly nominated her.
The group swam with dolphins, rode in a glass-bottom boat, attended a dolphin and parrot show and even visited a turtle hospital. The Foundation pulled out all the stops to make it an unforgettable trip. Thanks to Tammy, Shirley, and the Make-a-Wish Foundation for making our girl's dream come true.
Suzie
Susie came to Golden Girl when she was 15 years old. When she came to our home, she carried a black garbage bag filled with the only belongings she had. Her head was hung low, and she could not even speak because of the severe sexual abuse and neglect she had endured from her biological father.
Our primary goal for Susie was for her to regain her self-esteem and understand that she does not have to live her life as a victim. We gave her the confidence to testify against her father in court. Her father is spending a life sentence in a maximum security prison for what he did to her.
As Susie regained her confidence, she graduated high school with honors. After high school, she entered Golden Girl’s Transitional Living Program where we helped her go to Marshall University. Susie graduated from Marshall University with honors in social work. She is now helping young children who suffer from abuse and neglect.
Susie is just one of the many successes we have in our Golden Girl family. Your contributions help us to help more girls like Susie. Get involved today.