For most parents, receiving an unexpected middle-of-the-night call from their child brings a sense of dread. But for Camille’s mom, Shannon, it brought tears of joy. Camille came to Jacob’s Ladder’s Hope School for a short season in 2023 because, as Shannon describes it, “she had hit a hard place and was sinking like a rock.” Jacob’s Ladder put together a unique plan to help her find her footing and step forward in strength. Read Camille’s Story of Hope…
Camille is an exceptionally bright, high-achieving pre-teen with a gift for the visual arts. Articulate and expressive beyond her years, she is a deep “feeler and thinker” who strives for excellence in everything she does. Her mom described her as a “boat seemingly moving fine on the surface, but she had anchors – ADHD, depression, and emotional dysregulation – that were dragging her down.” Both at home and school, Camille was struggling to regulate her emotions, and even the smallest things could create major anxiety, leading to a fight-or-flight response that eventually caused her to lose confidence, self-esteem, and interest in the world around her. When her parents saw Camille begin to disengage and withdraw socially, academically, and emotionally, they reached out to Jacob’s Ladder founder and family friend Amy O’Dell for guidance.
After Camille’s initial evaluation, the JL team recommended that she enroll in Hope School for one year to learn strategies and tools to regulate her emotions effectively. After just six months in the Hope School program, Camille began recognizing and addressing when she felt like she was “starting to spiral,” learning to right-size her problems and find the strength to move forward confidently. Not only did their family dynamic significantly improve, but Shannon describes Camille’s time at JL as giving her the firm grip she needed to scale any mountain she faced. “Her time at Jacob’s Ladder was a touchstone for Camille. It showed her that when you get to a dark place, you don’t have to stay there; you can work your way out of it. It’s funny…she initially didn’t want to come to JL and then cried when it was time to leave.”
“Camille had a team that profoundly cared about her and, through the Interpersonal Whole-Brain Model of Care®, could reflect what her true nature was back to her, leading to her self-discovery. This is one of those moments in time that warms your heart.”
-Amy O’Dell
Camille returned to her previous school after less than a year with a growth mindset and the self-assurance to try new things she would have never done before, like trying out for the track team and sleeping over at a friend’s house, which is where she was the night she reached out to her mom. “Camille reached out at 2:00 a.m. to say how great 2023 had been, how much she loved us, and to thank us for sending her to Jacob’s Ladder…and also to request we go back and visit.”
Amy O’Dell was deeply moved when Shannon shared this story with her. “Camille had a team that profoundly cared about her and, through the Interpersonal Whole-Brain Model of Care®, could reflect what her true nature was back to her, leading to her self-discovery. This is one of those moments in time that warms your heart.”
Camille enjoying our Animal-Assisted Activity Program and various animal friends on the Jacob’s Ladder campus.
🐈🐰🦙🐎❤️
