As many of you are aware we have been under excessive stress with our 16-year-old son. In April he was diagnosed with bipolar/ADHD. Over the past 3-1/2 years we have had tremendous struggle with him: struggles ranging from abusing family members and pets, to being arrested, to trying to commit suicide. One of his most recent issues is that he failed to attend the second half of his 9th grade year and therefore, has to take it over again. From May to July, he lived with his grandmother because of his destructive behavior. Unfortunately, he refused to follow house rules, school rules and society rules.

We are writing to you in time of need. We have an opportunity to send him to a facility that helps with his diagnosed disorders. The principle behind this facility is for the student to learn the importance of rules, self worth, hard work and living productively in society. The facility appears to be an excellent fit.

Two benefits for us as parents are support groups and continuing parent education seminars. At the local support group parents have shared with us stories of success and growth. These stories are very inspiring and give us hope.

The one downfall is the financial end. The cost per year for this facility is approx. $40,000 annually, which includes: room & board, tuition, meals, uniforms, evaluation, and counseling (both individual and group). The minimum stay is 14-18 months. As you can imagine the budget is already stretched to its capacity. Unfortunately, we are only able to come up with a mere fraction of what is necessary.

We are calling on you now for two reasons. First, our family needs your prayers. It is only by the grace of God and the many prayers from you that we are able to continue and make these tough decisions on our son’s behalf. Second, any financial assistance you can give. We realize this is asking a lot. However, please pray about it and think of it as an investment in our son’s future. No small amount is too small and no large amount is too large.

Any donations made are tax deductible thru the C.S. Landre Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public benefits, non-profit organization. Please make checks out to the C.S. Landre Foundation and put XXXXXX on the memo line. We thank you ahead of time for any help you are willing to give. Because of the urgency, we ask that you let us know as soon as possible, if you are able to contribute. Please do not hesitate to call or email us.

My fear in sending this letter is that you may find this offensive. However, the true fear of losing my child at the age of 16 is far greater, especially if I didn’t do all I could to help prevent it. I approach you in an honest and sincere direction. I need to act now to help my family.