"To Whom It May Concern,

The hardest thing for a parent to realize is that they cannot make the pain that is hurting their child go away. When a parent has exhausted every avenue known to them, consulted with therapists, counselors, psychologists, priests — and still their child is hurting, a drastic step must be taken. When you've been on your knees and crying out to Heaven for years and you're not getting the answer you want to hear, you have to look at the answer you've been given.

The hardest decision we have ever made as parents was to send our daughter to New Horizons. For our close-knit, sheltered, Cuban, Catholic family, a wilderness program was unheard of and drastic. But drastic times call for drastic measures.

We went to Springfield looking for something - anything- to make us realize we had made the wrong decision. We had heard wonderful people on the phone, we had received wonderful reviews from other parents via email, we had been urged by everyone to make this move. But we were not convinced. We were determined to find something wrong. Everything we saw when we got there was right. The staff was honest, they were real. They were non-judgmental. No one said one harsh thing. No one's body language hid anything - but the truth: that they were all there to help our daughter. And the overall feeling of are and concern permeated from every corner of the Springfield office.

Paula Codrington, our daughter's therapist, was amazing. She worked with us every week, guided us as to what issues we should address, and followed up with us, always showing a genuinely concerned attitude. She was instrumental in helping our family get back on the right track, on the road to healing. She taught us things about our parenting style, particularly our tendency to always want to "rescue" Laura. She gave our daughter a sense of empowerment over her own life. She brought Laura out of the deep, dark, old secret that had hindered our daughter's emotional growth for almost two years. It was nothing short of a miracle.

Our entire family, both our nuclear family of four, and my extended family of brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles and grandparents, have grown because of our daughter's experience at New Horizons. It has helped us all realize that we all need to ask for help sometimes, and sometimes we can only begin to heal when we are apart from each other and in the silence. Laura's plight brought us all to our knees. Laura's absence at Christmas made us all realize what this holiday truly means. Laura's letters were received with anticipation and joy. Everyone wanted to be a part of this process because they love her so much. It made our already close-knit family even more united. It made us all treasure our time together.

The only frustrating times for me were when I couldn't get through the fax line - I still can't figure that one out. But there was always another fax to go to and the assurance that our letters would get through to our daughter.

I cannot thank the entire staff at New Horizons enough for their generous outpouring of care and concern for my daughter. I fet at peace while she was there, knowing she was safe and well taken care of.

I know that our family is on the road to healing now, and I pray that God will continue to bless everyone at New Horizons, because you all have been such a blessing to us.

With Warmest Regards,

Lily P.