“I was so bitter,” says Bethany when describing her relationship with her daughter, Olivia. “And I think that's important to write.”

Bethany and her husband were at their breaking point. Their daughter Olivia had been in and out of trouble since she was eight years old: suspended from school, kicked out of dance classes, banned from friends’ houses. She lied compulsively, stole from stores, and engaged in risky online behaviours. Her actions were impulsive and defiant. Bethany couldn’t keep a job due to Olivia’s frequent suspensions, and the constant stress had left her exhausted and resentful.

At home Olivia was often excluded from family gatherings and activities. At school she was bullied and struggled to make friends. She felt left out and lonely. She was angry.

“I'd put that anger on other people,” says Olivia. “I never had the solution to fix it myself.”

She was caught in a vicious cycle of fury and isolation. No one seemed understand her or offer the help she needed.

Despite numerous efforts – school meetings, private schools, therapy – nothing helped. Mother and daughter clashed constantly. Bethany was exhausted. She felt hopeless. Olivia had been diagnosed with ADHD and frontal lobe epilepsy, both of which impacted her impulse control, but some doctors doubted the diagnosis and removed her epilepsy meds. A week later, she suffered two grand mal seizures, just 13 hours apart. That was the turning point.

Olivia was referred to a psychologist at Ron Joyce Children’s Health Centre, who prescribed medication and recommended counselling with a social worker named Dallas.

Whole-Family Care

By the time Olivia met Dallas, she didn’t expect much. She had seen so many therapists and always left sessions feeling scolded instead of supported. But Dallas was different.

“I felt really comfortable with her,” says Olivia. “She definitely understood me.”

Dallas gave Olivia practical tools and healthy coping strategies. With the right support, The anger and frustration that had pushed people away started to dissolve. Olivia’s best qualities – her kindness, her loyalty, her humour – began to shine through.

Dallas didn’t just help Olivia. She helped Bethany heal, too. At their very first meeting, Dallas saw what others had missed.

“Dallas said, ‘You’re angry, and it’s not helping,’” Bethany recalls.

It was the first time someone acknowledged Bethany’s pain. Years of stress had left her resentful and afraid to trust her daughter. Dallas helped her see how her fears were isolating Olivia further.

“I was the issue half the time,” Bethany says. “Olivia was trying to change and I was not helping her.”

With Dallas’s encouragement, Bethany gave Olivia more freedom and trust. The result was a transformation.

A New Chapter

Olivia began handling social situations with more confidence and grace, empowering her to make friends and rejoin family events. Her school adopted her new Individual Education Plan. Her grades soared. She found joy in painting and figure skating.

“I feel like a new person,” Olivia says. “The old Olivia is gone and there’s a new Olivia. And it just feels so good.”

Everyone around her saw the change. Her teachers. Her siblings. Her mom.

Bethany found herself enjoying Olivia’s company again. “She’s amazing,” she says. “She’s such a cheerleader in other people’s lives.”

Olivia felt it, too.

“I’ve seen such a big difference in mom. I feel that she can understand me, and she actually wants to be with me,” says Olivia.

The Power of Support

After more than a year of counselling, the mother and daughter had built a new foundation - one rooted in mutual understanding and respect.

“These sessions really helped me and mom connect better,” says Olivia. “We feel like mother and daughter properly now.”

Bethany agrees: “It changed our lives. Having Ron Joyce to support us through what I thought was the worst time of our life helped so much. It got us through the storm.”

Today, Olivia is thriving. She’s creative, compassionate, and self-aware. She’s proud of how far she’s come – and she wants others to know that help is out there.

“If you’re going through stuff and you don’t know what to do about it, don’t hide it,” she says.“Talk to someone. It’s OK to express your feelings. You’ll feel better and you’ll see the difference in yourself.”

The care Olivia and Bethany received at Ron Joyce Children’s Health Centre was only possible because of donor support. This wasn’t just about clinical care, it was a lifeline. A family on the verge of collapse found connection. A child once isolated and overwhelmed found clarity, confidence, and joy. It’s because of this support that Olivia’s story took a sharp turn from crisis to calm, from hopelessness to hope. Ron Joyce Children’s Health Centre gave them more than help. It gave them a future.

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