Jayden's Story

Researching articles for this blog often takes me all over the place. I'll begin the evening thinking about one issue or idea and, before I know it, 3 hours have elapsed and I've ended up with a few sentences conveying absolutely nothing I had intended to write about. Tonight is one of those nights and I came across this story about a boy and his mom who live in Portland, Oregon. I believe this short tale exposes several of the issues facing single parent families who are homeless.

"For Jayden’s mother, Suzanna, homelessness started with abuse. She is 24 years old, married, and the single mother of three. The walls of Jayden’s room failed to protect him from the sights and sounds of his father threatening and beating his mother. After six years, it finally became too much. Concerned for their safety, Suzanna fled with Jayden and his siblings first to a domestic violence shelter and ultimately to a different state.

The family found refuge in an emergency shelter where Suzanna and her three children shared one room. Soon after arriving, Jayden developed an unremitting cough that required several trips to the emergency room. Ultimately, Jayden was diagnosed with asthma and depression, for which he was prescribed medication...and a home for his family.

The experience of homelessness had taken a toll on Jayden’s physical and emotional health. Asthma triggers pervaded Jayden’s environment. He grew tired of his inhaler – his constant companion. His emergency room visits grew more frequent. Coughing and breathing difficulties limited his ability to play, talk, and sleep comfortably. Suzanna’s homelessness made it difficult for her to access the services needed to address her central concern – Jayden’s asthma.

Jayden feels excluded from the community in which he grew up. Emotionally isolated, he has had difficulty connecting with his peers at school. While Jayden is aware that the search for safety spurred his family’s move, he still longs for the life that he has lost. He blames himself for their presence in the shelter and apologized to his mother for being unable to prevent his father’s violence. Nightmares plague his sleep along with the pervasive fear that his father will return. His ailments interfere with school attendance and homework.

Jayden hopes his family will find a better life. His future depends in part on legislators and public leaders far away from the little room where he coughs his way through the night."