Success Stories
Hopeless to Hopeful:
Abby's Story
At just 15, Abby felt hopeless. Depression, anxiety, and a turbulent home life left her disconnected from family and peers. After multiple psychiatric stays with no lasting relief, she arrived at Boys Town convinced that nothing could change.
But at Boys Town, for the first time, she could see a future. "I never thought I'd graduate, but now I'm not just graduating--I'm becoming a CNA and going to university to study public health."
Her transformation wasn't just academic--it was personal. "Five years ago, my dad wouldn't have said he was proud of me. Now, he celebrates every little victory with me."
Thanks to Boys Town's holistic care model, Abby found hope, direction, and a second chance at life. She is living proof that with the right support, every child can overcome adversity and achieve their dreams.
Watch Abby's Story
Before I came to Boys Town, my dad saw how much I was struggling, and I don't think he really knew what to do or what to say. Growing up, I was in a very toxic environment, and it caused me to struggle as I became older with the depression and anxiety. I didn't really fit in with my peers, and I just had a lot of behaviors that drove me away from my family, drove me away from school. I first came to Boys Town when I was 15. It was very hard. I didn't feel as though I was ready for the help, because I had been in and out of so many psych wards and inpatient units, and nothing really helped me, so I was going into this thinking that it wasn't going to help. The skills they come in with and the skills they leave are just a drastic change in who they are and their personalities, and I think it really not helps them, it also helps us as a family to just really see that, as Father Flanagan said, there is no such thing as a bad kid.
As I began to start building relationships and kind of realizing my behavior patterns and understanding myself and understanding my emotions, things really started to open up for me, and I really started to see growth within myself. The opportunities that Boys Town has given me, I've tried so many sports I've never tried before, and I was able to earn my CNA in HOSA. Never thought I'd be able to do that, because I never thought I was going to graduate high school. My freshman year before I came here, I was failing all of my classes, and I had no motivation to go to school. I honestly could not envision myself walking across the stage and getting a diploma. After graduation, I am going to be working as a CNA and then transitioning into a university where I'll be studying public health. My dad is so proud of me, and I don't think five years ago he would have said that.
He always celebrates the little victories with me and always praises me for every little thing that happens here at Boys Town. I'm so thankful that I came to Boys Town, because it gave me a second chance at life, it gave me a second chance at success.
