Caitlin’s fundraiser

It Gets Better

I grew up in the foster care system.

I’ve been locked in a jail cell.

I’ve fought battles in my own head that almost took me out.

There were years where survival was the only goal. Not dreams. Not plans. Just making it to the next day. I carried anger, fear, shame, and pain I didn’t know how to name — and I made choices that came from hurt, not hope.

I didn’t think I’d escape any of it.

But somehow, I’m still here.

I’ve done the work. I’ve owned my past. I’ve faced things I tried to outrun for years. Healing wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t quick. And it damn sure wasn’t comfortable.

Now my life looks nothing like it used to.

I wake up with peace instead of chaos.

I have stability instead of survival.

I have a wife who loves me in ways I didn’t even know I needed, and together we’re building a future I once believed was impossible.

I’m grateful — not because the past was beautiful, but because I survived it.

Because it didn’t break me.

Because I get to choose something better now.

If you’re reading this and you’re still stuck in the system, behind bars, or fighting your own mind — don’t let anyone convince you that this is all you’ll ever be.

It isn’t.

I’m proof.

And that’s why I want to do this fundraiser so many more people can live the life they deserve.