Olivia* is six. She loves hide and go seek, Taylor Swift, animals, and Dogman books – she lives in Wake County with her foster family and sees her Lucy Daniels Center Therapist twice a week. Olivia is smart, creative, a fantastic dancer, and loves to make up her own stories about dragons and other mythical creatures; she likes it when the good guys win and the bad guys learn their lesson, and always makes sure that the children in her stories have strong protectors who keep them safe.
For young children, voicing their own story and working though their traumatic experiences can be incredibly difficult and painful – Lucy Daniels Center (LDC) is the largest nonprofit in Wake County that specializes in evaluation and in-depth treatment of children birth through 12. Olivia’s imagination has been a pivotal part of her therapy sessions at LDC, with young children art and play is an integral part of working through the therapy process and a way to give voice to their fears, experiences, anger, hurt, hope, and growth.
Olivia has seen and experienced things that nobody, especially a young child, should have to go through. Before starting therapy she found it hard to trust people, wouldn’t engage at school, didn’t show physical affection, and had very low self-esteem. LDC has been working with her and her foster parents for 18 months now- this close working together has allowed for true healing to occur. Olivia has blossomed her desire for learning in the classroom, has made friends with peers, and when she grows up she wants to be a doctor so she can help kids like her be safe and happy.
Olivia is just one in over 500 children that we see at LDC every year, but there are so many more out there who would benefit from our services. In 2025 we will be opening our brand new $3.6 million outpatient integrated care clinic here on the LDC campus that will enable us to serve more than 1,500 young people and their families every year. We’re $500,000 from our goal as of today – help us to help children like Olivia and donate to our Every Child Counts campaign today. Together we can provide the support that lets children enjoy their childhood.
