A desperate mother must grapple with impossible choices as her young son becomes too dangerous to live at home, but is only growing bigger, stronger, and more violent while in treatment. When Keri and her husband adopt Devon, he has concerning behaviors, but she's confident all he needs is the love of a forever family. Devon's hidden history of early childhood trauma quickly takes center stage when Devon throws screaming fits, yanks his bedroom door off its hinges, chases his classmates with a knife, and pushes his younger brother down the stairs and viciously karate-chops him in the throat. When Devon is admitted to a psychiatric residential treatment facility at age 10 and is diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD), Keri is faced with an impossible choice — Devon is too dangerous to live at home, but he's not getting better in treatment. Keri must race against time to find help for Devon and keep her other children safe, as he grows bigger, stronger, and more violent.
Based on a shocking true story, this reads-like-a-novel memoir exposes the dysfunctions of the child welfare and mental health systems and how they fail kids with RAD and their families.
2022 IndieReader Discovery Award Winner
16th National Indie Excellence Award Winner
11th Annual Kindle Book Award Winner
2022 Wishing Shelf Award Finalist