At 13, Monica was sneaking out, screaming at her mom, and dropping behind in school. Having grown up without a father, Monica went spiraling down a dark path when her mother finally remarried. �I didn�t even like him. He was just this guy coming into my life and going to tell me what to do.�
Desperate for a miracle, a friend recommended Idaho Youth Ranch Anchor House to her mom. Feeling unloved and unwanted, Monica refused to cooperate with the therapy.
�I can remember them buying Conner, my brother new baseball stuff. It was like my parents didn�t care about me like they didn�t love me so, whatever, I was going to do what I want. I couldn�t see that it was my behavior that kept them from doing that kind of stuff for me.�
In an angry attempt to hurt her parents, she was hurting herself and putting herself at great risk. With all of this in mind, her parents and Anchor House therapist decided the best way to help Monica was at the Ranch.
�When they [her parents] left I didn�t even say good-bye. I was furious. I couldn�t believe they sent me away. I didn�t want to be there, and I was determined that I wasn�t going to try. I was going to flunk out and show them they couldn�t make me change. I didn�t expect to love it or make friends.�
Secretly excited about the animals, Monica befriended a horse named Thunder. �There were times I would just pet the horse and cry. I know it sounds strange, but it felt really good. It was things like that and working with my therapist that made me decide I could be better for myself. That made all the difference.�
When her parents visited from Coeur d�Alene to see their daughter for the first time in six months, neither they nor Monica knew what to expect. �I was scared and nervous. Six months is a long time not to see them, and I worried they would think I might just be faking it, you know. They came and watched me ride my horse and see my 4-H dairy calf. It was nice. We spent the whole day together, and there was no fighting or yelling. They said they were proud of me. That was a big deal.�
Over the course of 15 months, while she was at the Ranch, Monica graduated high school and set her eyes toward the future. After returning home, Monica accepted a job with Amazon in Fort Worth, Texas and began studying to be a dental hygienist.
