If her blood sugar gets too low in the middle of the night, I hear the alarm and wake her up if she is not already up. If she doesn’t wake up, I get her injections and give her the medication. If she still doesn’t wake up, I call 911.

This happened one time three years ago when I was 7 years old. My mom didn’t wake up in the morning, and when I got to her, she was unresponsive, so I called 911. I told them the situation, my name and the address and a couple of minutes later the ambulance and police arrived. They took my mom to the hospital and saved her life. In fact, they told me that I saved her life by calling 911.

This experience has made me worried and anxious about my mom. I worry that her blood sugar will get too low when I’m not around and I don’t like when she’s alone. So, I worry when I go to the park with my friends and I know she’s home alone.

I go to Powerhouse to deal with the stress that builds up from worrying about her. I love the feeling of freedom I get from going there and that it takes my worry away for a bit. When I go there, it’s like entering a circle of trust. There are no right or wrong answers, and I don’t have to talk about the tough things if I don’t want to.

The programs at Powerhouse have taught me the importance of self-care. It has helped me to learn more about myself and helped me with stress management. They also helped me connect with other kids in similar situations to me. I met some of my best friends there. Powerhouse has changed my life.