To truly understand our mission, I’d like to share a little bit of my “ACE” story.

I was born in New York City, during a time period when the city was ravaged by what is known today as the “crack epidemic.” My mother struggled with addiction to crack cocaine, and my father battled addiction as well — to both drugs and alcohol. When I was 6 months old, my great-grandmother took me away from my mother, in an effort to give her a chance at recovery, but sadly, she never stopped using drugs. In 1992, she was found murdered behind a public school, when I was just seven years old. One year after that, my father died from HIV/AIDS after a 30 day stay in the hospital. Four years later, when I was 12 years old, my maternal grandmother, whom I loved, died from pancreatic cancer. My childhood memories are filled with visiting her at the hospital, only, not being allowed to see her because of my age. When I finally did see her, my mind went into shock, because physically, she had waisted away. I remember her calling my name… and me just standing there because I didn’t understand what was going on. A few weeks later, I woke up overhearing my great-grandmother talking on the phone, saying that her daughter had just died in the hospital. I was devastated - My “GJ” was gone. Some years later, in 2010, a year after I graduated from nursing school, my grandfather, who helped raise me, died from a cardiac arrest, on his front doorstep. I remember being notified while I was at work and being in so much shock, my boss kindly sent me home right away.

Despite the stormy days of my childhood, there were always rays of sunshine in my life — people whose love, warmth, and stability helped me to feel that I was loved and know that my life had a purpose. My brightest “ray” of sunshine was my great-grandmother, Mrs. Gladys Ward, who, as I mentioned, took me in when I was just six months old. She was the love of my life. With her, my childhood is filled with fond core memories of feeling loved and nurtured. I knew she loved me, just by the way she looked at me, and with her, I always felt safe. I lived with her my entire life, until she passed away from breast cancer in 2021, at the age of 103. Her unwavering love grounded me and made all the pain and loss I had experienced in life… endurable.

Alongside her, many others have helped me to navigate the complex grief and emotions from my early losses, — caring teachers, kind classmates, loyal friends, spiritual brothers and sisters, and compassionate mentors in the workplace. The love and guidance these men and women have given me has been truly invaluable. Each one, in their own unique way, has helped me grow through what I’ve gone through. Even now, they continue to nurture my growth—they continue to “help me sprout”.

The greatest challenge of my life occurred, however, when my great-grandmother passed away in 2021- That is what brings you and I here. When she died, I felt a pain I had never experienced before. It felt like the ground beneath me gave way. Old, unprocessed grief came rushing to my mind and I didn’t understand what was happening to me. During that time, painful memories of my childhood resurfaced and my cries for help to surviving family, went largely ignored. It was then that it hit me - my beloved Nana - my nurturer and lifelong protector - was gone. I woke up one day in panic, perplexed, nervous and confused. I found myself in the ER, at the hospital where I take care of others, now in the position to be taken care of. I was overwhelmed, heart racing … beating so fast, it felt like it would eventually explode. I’ll never forget the kindness of the doctor and nurse who cared for me. The doctor embraced me gently and said, “I was raised by my grandmother too. I understand what she meant to you.” The nurse knew what I needed most in that moment and gave me, not medicine, but a hug. That night I received the best medical care I could ever receive- compassion. Later, another doctor would explain to me: “She protected you from everything that could hurt you.” Those words resonated deeply with me. I was processing trauma that I didn’t even know I had. Later, I was diagnosed with “Complicated Grief” & Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - related to childhood events.

In the weeks that followed, I began to learn about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) — and the lasting emotional, mental, and even physical effects trauma can have on a child’s development and lifelong well-being. As a registered nurse, this touched me deeply - understanding how trauma in childhood can have ripple effects across a lifetime. I learned that trauma can wound the body, just as profoundly as it can wound one’s soul. Yes, as coined by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, “the body keeps the score.”

That discovery — and the deep reflection that followed — led me to form Help Me Sprout, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting children who have experienced trauma or adversity. Our goal is simple but powerful: to be a ray of sunshine in a child’s life, so that even in the darkest of circumstances, they have the opportunity to heal, grow, and sprout into their full potential. Through education, we hope to help mitigate the damaging long-term effects associated with ACEs. Additionally, we hope to help children form nurturing relationships with others - even if those others are not family members at home. From personal experience, I understand just how lifesaving having even just one nurturing relationship can be. Because of my great-grandmother’s love, I’ve been able to survive my darkest days, even after she has died. The rays of sunshine that she displayed towards me, still shine brightly in my heart. Additionally, the support I’ve received from the other beautiful people in my life continue to help me keep going, even on the days when my losses feel too heavy to bare.

In addition to supporting the child, we endeavor to support the caregiver - who may feel overwhelmed or unprepared on exactly how to help a traumatized child. We want you to know that we see you, even when you feel all alone and unseen.

We ask that you check back in with us regularly, as we develop our program and add resources to this website. To all the beautiful people who are doing their best to raise a traumatized child, and especially a child that is not your own, - I salute you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. The world needs more people like you.