When you met Jacob, you saw a normal, energetic 7 year old. In reality, he was sad, angry and lonely.

Jacob experienced many horrors in his short life, including physical abuse and abandonment. Then, at only 7, both his mother and the man who lived with them died by suicide. He was orphaned – or so he thought.

The support systems in foster care were not sufficient to help Jacob manage his emotions. Fueled by rage, he acted out, and was hospitalized multiple times for threatening to kill himself and others. In January 2019, the day before his ninth birthday, he came to HomeSafe’s Sylvester Family specialized therapeutic group home in West Palm Beach, Florida.

The first year was hard. Jacob didn’t trust anyone; he put up a wall, calling the staff derogatory names and using profanity. He also channeled his anger inward – physically beating himself up. But Jacob was surprised in various ways. One was that staff weren’t put off by his behavior, but continued to love him. Over time, Jacob began to trust, eventually accepting hugs.

The staff helped him build his self-esteem and comforted him whenever he could not soothe himself. A new therapist, Ms. Stephanie, spent time with him in “his world,” shooting hoops and riding skateboards.

It was Stephanie who gave Jacob the biggest surprise of all. She learned that Jacob’s mother had told him the man who lived with them was his father. The truth was that his real father was still alive and reached out to Jacob’s case manager, looking to connect with him and determine if he was his son. After a paternity test provided confirmation, Ms. Stephanie shared the news with Jacob.

Now 11, Jacob has been able to leave HomeSafe and start a new life with his father in Michigan. Jacob’s dad still stays in touch with Ms. Stephanie and reports that Jacob is thriving in his new home. He’s also had a lot of “firsts” with his father: his first baseball game, first camping trip, and first ride down a waterslide.

His father shares with HomeSafe, “It’s incredible that we found each other after all these years, and I’m so happy I get to be his dad. People say that I saved Jacob, but really he saved me. I’m really thankful to HomeSafe for helping make this possible.”