Miles

When you’re young, events and emotions are multiplied. For Miles, a sequence of devastating events left him struggling with how to cope: his parents got a divorce, his grandfather had a stroke, and his great grandfather passed away.

“I guess the concentration of all that happened in that small amount of time was a lot to deal with. I had never really been taught how to share or deal with that kind of stuff because I hadn’t really had any struggles like that up until that point,” said Miles, reflecting back. “I started hurting a lot from all of that and I didn’t know how to cope with it. That led to a lot of bottling things up, not sharing, and eventually outbursts where I would lash out at others like my family.”

As Miles began to struggle more and more, finding help for their son was a top priority for Jamie, his mother, and Tony, his father. They had watched their son who had once been so vibrant and full of life start to fall apart, and they knew he needed help. A family friend suggested Eagle Ranch, and it could not have been a bigger blessing for their family.

“Miles needed a place where he could deal with his stuff – a place to get it all out – Eagle Ranch gave him that space,” said Jamie.

Two years at Eagle Ranch gave Miles time to heal and learn how to process his feelings. Miles was able to rekindle his passionate personality, forming him into a leader who boldly speaks his mind and loves kindness and fairness. At Eagle Ranch, Miles has thrived.

“We’ve seen Miles go from someone that was frequently depressed and struggling with how to handle things, to someone that’s excited about life again. Miles has some amazing goals, and I couldn’t be more proud of his focus on listening to what God has called him to,” said Tony.

Both families have experienced change as well. Throughout their time at the Ranch, Tony and Jamie improved their communication as part of two separate blended families in order to better support Miles. Jamie and Tony have built consistency in their perspective homes, allowing their children to understand what to expect. Even more, they have developed a strong foundation of trust and respect for one another.

“Eagle Ranch was exactly what we hoped for and prayed for. It has taught us ways to work better together as two separate blended families. We have a common goal of loving our kids the best we can despite what happened between us. Eagle Ranch is not just a place to send your child. The whole family is a part of it, which is great. It’s a life change and requires a lot of work for us to do on our part,” said Tony.

“Eagle Ranch has been a vessel of God’s grace for every part of our family. We came here seeking support and an opportunity for healing for our son and found it not only for him, but for all of us. With support and guidance from the people and programs here, we have developed better communication and understanding in our marriage, and we have grown in our ability to work through challenges in parenting and all of life in general. As a blended family, the accountability, trust, and respect we practiced among all family members have opened the door to restoration and healthy dynamics, and renewed our hopes for a peaceful and nurturing future together. Rallying around Miles, we have each found better versions of ourselves and better ways to love and help each other. God truly does redeem and work all things for good,” said Jamie.