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Aliyah's Story - Words of Thanks - Light House Medical Director
Aliyah's Story
Aliyah was 1 of 10 children raised by a single mother who spent time in and out of jail. When her mom was in jail, Aliyah spent time raising herself and becoming street smart. Aliyah was living the life of a wanderer—she had dropped out of school in eighth grade, lived from house to house, and often spent her days “hanging out” and smoking marijuana with her friends.
Then, one life changing day, Aliyah discovered she was pregnant. In addition to the usual fear and confusion that goes with an unexpected pregnancy, Aliyah was also faced with pressure from the father of her child to have an abortion and continue in her old ways.
Robert, a family friend, was concerned for Aliyah’s future, as well as that of her unborn child. Through a desperate Hope Call, he explained she was a smart girl with tons of untapped potential, and facing insurmountable peer pressure. The Light House agreed to take Aliyah in and give both her and her baby a chance to live. So, in the fall of 2005, at 17 years old, Aliyah entered The Light House.
For days Aliyah cried and sulked. She longed to be with her old friends and old environment. The Light House was welcoming, but regardless, it was “new” and filled with so many unknowns. Towards the end of the week, after attending various programming, she began to warm up. The staff watched as she began to smile. “She had the most beautiful smile,” remembers Anna Rizzi, program director.
And then came more tragedy.
Aliyah’s first weekend at The Light House, she wanted to attend a local concert that her family had tickets for. However, Light House rules require that young women earn their privileges and Aliyah had not yet earned any passes to leave the facility. Against her wishes, she stayed at The Light House that evening. At 2AM that morning, Light House staff received a call. Shots had been fired at her family’s vehicle and her younger brother had been shot in the head. The hospital told our staff that he was going to die shortly—immediately the staff and Aliyah headed to the hospital. While they sat by his bedside, Light House staff stayed up all night with Aliyah and prayed with her. They prayed for the recovery of her brother.
Over the next few days, the Light House staff prayed with her a lot—demonstrating faith in God. Aliyah left the house for a few days to be with her brother. Aliyah’s brother made a full recovery.
After her brother’s recovery, Aliyah returned to The Light House. She jumped into her old routine. During the day, she took GED coursework and in the evenings she attended Light House programming. Aliyah appeared to be adjusting well. However, she still struggled some with new rules and less freedom. About a month later, Aliyah, wanting to be independent, decided that she had enough of rules. She packed up her belongings and left.
During the period she was gone, the staff prayed for her safety and return; for like Robert, they too saw the untapped potential she possessed. In fact, the GED professors often spoke of her performance. She excelled in her academics and had the ability to catch concepts very quickly.
Through prayer, God brought Aliyah back to The Light House in October. Before she returned she had to agree to rules specific to her needs—and she did. Aliyah, now closer to delivering her child, committed herself to making a change in her life—and she was successful. Aliyah completed her GED coursework with rave reviews, she met and made lifelong friends, and she obeyed rules and encouraged new arrivals to do so as well. She really became a leader among her peers.
A now more focused Aliyah prepared for her little girl to arrive. She earned points through her obedience which allowed her to “purchase” items for her child in the baby boutique. She collected several pink outfits, a pink car seat, pink shoes, and other items she knew her baby would need.
On January 28th, she gave birth to a 7 pound 6 ounce baby BOY!!! Boy, was she surprised. Yet again, life had thrown her another loop. In love with her baby, but distraught over her preparations—an hour before she left the hospital she finally named him Elijah.
Aliyah, for the third time, returned to The Light House. She cared for her infant day and night, never leaving his side. However, she seemed to struggle some with the pressures of being a new mother. The staff spoke to her about the baby blues, depression, and some of the normal changes that came with motherhood. This brought her relief and she began to open up and feel more normal about her feelings.
Aliyah, preparing for her new life with her son, was able to get an apartment, a job, and pass her GED. Until The Light House, Aliyah didn't’t know what success felt like. She had been kicked out of every school she attended. Aliyah made great strides to better herself both as a parent and as a person. She did the work she needed with The Light House licensed professional counselor, Lori, and was able to address many of her family issues as well.
To date, Aliyah still stays connected with The Light House through phone calls, updating us on herself and her little one. Aliyah is thankful for the security The Light House gave her so that she could utilize her God-given potential. We remember her and her beautiful smile well, and cannot think of her without smiling ourselves.
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