Like many children living at St. Jude’s Ranch, Sara and Josh are best friends, great kids and special siblings.  At 8-years-old, Sara is the surrogate mother to her 6-year-old brother.  She sets an excellent example for him everyday through her good grades and spirited personality.  Josh, on the other hand, is a bit more reserved.  He likes to get to know people before he opens up but once the trust is built he shows a chatty and somewhat mischievous side. 

Sara and Josh arrived on the Ranch in late 2006.  They were removed from their home after bearing witness to severe domestic abuse between their mother and father.  The fact that they are so well adjusted now is testament to the compassion and care the staff of St. Jude’s Ranch provides to their children.  And in the case of Sara and Josh, the staff had to help these kids come to terms with their family situation twice. 

After living on the Ranch for nearly a year, Sara and Josh were removed by the state and returned to live with their biological mother who was, at the time, not involved with their father.  While, in many cases, family reunification can be successful and therapeutically appropriate for children this particular placement was a strain on all parties involved.  The

mother of the children soon found that she could not care for them adequately, the stress was simply too much and she turned to alcohol as comfort.  Unfortunately, with her judgment impaired, she began abusing the two children physically to a point that Child Protective Services was again called and the children were again removed from her home. 

Only months after being sent to live with family, St. Jude’s Ranch welcomed Sara and Josh back onto campus with open arms.  Getting past the bruises, sores and body lice the children returned with was top of the priority list for the Ranch Staff.  And once the physical pain began to subside it was time to work, once again, on emotional healing.  These two young darlings have been party to more physical and emotional abuse than most of us will ever see in our lifetimes.  They have lived the life of abuse and bear the scars to prove it. 

Today, Sara and Josh can be seen zooming the campus on scooters and bikes.  Their smiles and laughter fill the room as they continue the healing process.  They are the best of friends and often turn to one another and trusted staff for support, comfort and a shoulder to cry on.