By Betty Gandee
“When she picked up the closest thing to her, a dirty sock, and shoved it in my mouth so I would stop crying, yelling that she would take it out if I would stop screaming, that scarred me for life.”
It wasn’t all rosy for Megan Harold when she was placed in foster care. She vividly remembers the good, bad, and ugly things that shaped her into the woman she is today. She wouldn’t change the past or what she went through, for it shaped her into the loving wife and mother she is today.
Megan was placed into foster care at the age of three and went through 14 foster families before she crossed paths with Jason and Kristy Belt. She was placed in a home with a friend and in the beginning says it was great, then it started to get rough, like many times before. Kristy was the youth leader at the church they attended and could tell something wasn’t right. Megan confided in Kristy about the issues in her life, neither of them knowing that this would be the beginning of a wonderful journey.
When the phone rang that day and Megan was on the other end needing somewhere to go. Kristy says there was no question if we would do it. The question was how? We didn’t have foster care licensing, the extra room, or know where to start. Her son Drew gave up his bedroom to bunk with his brother Aus while they built Megan her own room. Kristy and Jason having two sons, one with autism, didn’t hesitate to give Megan the life she deserved. “Megan has always been there to help with Aus and connected with Drew from day one. We knew in our hearts she was meant to be with us.”
“This will change your life. It allows you to see things differently and realize that all children want to be loved.” That is how Kristy explains her experience with foster care. Megan says, “Every one of us are different. We have walls built up, trust issues, and are afraid but we just want to be loved.” The key word here is LOVE. Love is what makes you family, nothing more, nothing less.
West Virginia has over 4,000 children in foster care and one out of five of those children will “age out” and become homeless. These children deserve and need help. Mission WV is all about serving these needs and helping children find loving homes. If you would like more information on becoming a foster/adoptive parent contact Mission WV today at 304-562-0723.