Kelly - Hope is being able to see there is light despite all the darkness

My miracle was finding in Flourish Australia, a safe place to be seen, to be valued and to be supported. This is the true definition of a supportive community!

I had always felt alone and fearful of life since my earliest memories. I was adopted, never held by my birth mother, and grew up in a family struggling to cope with alcoholism and just making ends meet.

I was a gifted child, full of wild hopes and dreams of becoming someone who would impact the world in a positive way. By the time I had turned two I could already read, and was able to do algebra before I started my first year at school. I had a natural talent for the arts and was a born performer. One could say I had too many gifts, so maintaining focus early on clearly was an issue. I battled feelings of loneliness, worthlessness and depression. The pain and fear of just existing contributed to the development of an eating disorder and alcohol use.

In the workplace, I have valuable strengths: strategic thinking, effective communicating, writing, collaborative teamwork, being diligent and I have a solution- oriented mindset. It gives me a deep sense of satisfaction to do things that uplift others through my work. Yet I was deeply scared I would be seen as defective, forgetful, clumsy, disorganised and crippled by procrastination. I faced some criticism from employers, some just let me go.

To say I wasn’t cut out for the corporate world seemed an understatement. Yet I had many successes in a wide variety of roles: designing flowers for the Queen’s birthday, managing the marketing for The Americas Cup, practicing remedial massage at London Fashion Week and working at elite levels in the event industry on an international stage. Yet, I just could not get any sense of stability and safety in my life.

I was blessed to have a son but as a single mother for most of his life, and unable to get any sense of stability for myself, the responsibility of motherhood was sometimes overwhelming.

After major surgery, I found myself on a difficult healing journey. I just couldn’t get back on track. I faced possible eviction and seemed to lack employment prospects. Then I found Flourish Australia’s Disability Employment Service (DES).

Felino, my Employment coordinator, showed incredible compassion and made the overwhelming task of returning to work seem possible and he supported me across each hurdle: from doing my CV to job training. Eventually I secured some casual work with a company that carries out cleaning for elderly householders. This role gave me a renewed sense of purpose and value. My bright, breezy personality uplifted their day which was immensely rewarding.

At Flourish Australia’s Buckingham House, I received valuable support in developing ‘life admin skills’ and I began achieving some major tasks that I had not been able to face on my own.

I enjoyed popping in to Buckingham House to engage in some art, share a meal and a laugh, or maybe go on an outing. Gradually I began to feel like myself again, embracing a sense of normalcy and personal fulfillment.

Flourish Australia’s non-judgemental approach and the way they concentrated on my strengths really empowered me to begin taking action on my own.

The future is bright with possibilities ahead. I hold onto my lofty dreams of making a positive impact and contributing to the world. I hope for a future filled with steady work and financial stability. I am determined to return to studying in the field of trauma, aspiring to support fellow adoptees and relinquished children on their journey toward healing. With hope and perseverance, I see a path forward where I can fulfill these aspirations and make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.