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These stories are from Jigsaw affiliated agencies but all
names have been changed to protect client confidentiality.
Tamsin’s story
Tamsin is a
bright and happy toddler, but her life could have been very
different. She was born addicted to her mother’s morphine. For
the first month of her life, she was agitated and distressed.
The hospital ‘managed’ her addiction by reducing her morphine
intake over a period of a month.
Tamsin’s mother Mary was addicted to drugs. Both of Mary’s
parents had been heroin addicts. Mary’s mother had injected
her daughter when she was only 16. Mary had been to court for
shoplifting, and to prison for fraud. When Mary was pregnant,
she was on the methadone programme, but she was still ‘topping
up’ with other drugs. Mary’s partner Tony was on the methadone
programme, too. He was also taking ‘P’ and topping up with
other drugs.
Mary had had a baby who had died of cot death. But when
Tamsin was born, she still slept in Mary’s bed. Mary smoked
heavily around her.
For over a year, the Family Help Trust’s Intervention
Programme helped Mary and Tony begin to turn their lives
around. Tamsin now sleeps in her own bed and is always
appropriately dressed and cared for. She is at the centre of
her parent’s lives and receives lots of cuddles and positive
attention. She has developed into a happy and well-adjusted
toddler.
Mary has stopped smoking, stopped topping up and her
methadone use is reduced. She and Tony no longer commit
crimes, and they and have cut ties with antisocial friends.
Mary is currently attending a computer course. Mary’s
relationship with her mother has improved and her mother now
works part-time for the first time in her life. Tony is has
also stopped topping up, and is starting to look for work. The
couple is being supportive of Tony’s mother who has just come
out of detox.
Tamsin is real. She is one of the many high-risk children
living in New Zealand with families that struggle every day to
fight their addictions, live on a legal income and put their
children’s needs first. Her families’ problems are
generational and won’t change overnight. But Jigsaw agencies
will be there for the long haul to help this family and many
others to stay on track and to break the cycle for children
like Tamsin.
Tom’s story
Tom, an
11-year-old boy, was getting into trouble for his aggression.
He was involved in a fight with another student at school. In
the fight, the other student’s arm was broken.
It was agreed that Tom would undertake a Clean Anger
programme. Tom’s mother thought her son had been labelled a
bully, and that staff at school were picking on him. Because
of the fight, she thought he would be treated unfairly. Tom
and the other student had both apologised and were friends
again.
Tom completed the Clean Anger programme. His parents were
encouraged to use different disciplinary methods. This helped
Tom to change his aggressive manner and make positive changes
at school and home. His mother no longer feels that her son is
being treated differently at school. Tom remains in school and
recently asked his mother if he could come back to the
programme to help him keep on track.
Miranda’s story
The
counsellor of a local intermediate school referred 13-year-old
Miranda to a JIGSAW affiliated agency. The counsellor said
Miranda had become disrespectful. Miranda was often stood down
from school, and the school was considering excluding her
altogether.
Miranda’s mother came in to discuss her daughter’s
behaviour. She felt she had exhausted all her options. She
wanted time out from her daughter, who she found demanding and
inconsiderate. Miranda would often not come home, and fail to
let her mother know where she was. On one occasion, Miranda
was missing for a week. The police had not considered her a
missing person because she had contacted people, but she had
refused to tell anyone where she was.
Miranda agreed that her behaviour was a problem. She was
aware of her poor relationships with her family and teachers.
She agreed to work on improving her relationships, and to
complete an anger management and drug awareness programme.
Miranda moved to her uncle and aunt’s home, whom she had a
lot of respect for. She completed her programmes and
eventually moved back home. She made a huge effort to improve
her relationships, especially with her mother. Her mother now
says that they can have a conversation without arguing.
Miranda finished at intermediate school, and moved to a local
high school. She excels at sports and is doing really
well.
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