In many ways, the odds were stacked against Kalisse Myatt, right from the start. She was born to a mother in crisis. She tells us, “My mom did not know love and didn’t know how to love.”
The adults she grew up around were not positive examples. Around the age of nine, Kalisse was introduced to illegal drugs. Shortly after she was trafficked and experienced “abuse of every kind.” By her teenage years she was regularly misusing drugs and eventually began producing and distributing them herself. She was falling into the same patterns and cycles as her mother.
Kalisse explains that initially, she did not want to become a mother. “I did not want to hurt another person,” like she’d been hurt by her own mom. However, soon after meeting the man who would become her husband, she learned she was pregnant.
When Kalisse held Auriana for the first time, she knew she would not be able to take her home with her, and she knew she had to make a change. Then, she asked God for a sign.
Not long after, she received a call from the rehab facility Jordan’s Crossing. A bed had opened, and her name was next on the list. This was her chance. After completing her 90-day program, seven-month-old Auriana was placed in Kalisse’s care. She was scared to have Auriana with her but had done the hard work and knew she was ready to be a mother to her beautiful daughter.
When Auriana was placed in her arms, Kalisse had a renewed sense of faith and the strongest sense of self she’d ever experienced. She had the chance to be the mother she always wanted and needed, but she could not do it alone. She knew she needed to find baby products so she could care for Auriana. While getting settled she realized she needed much more. That’s when a counselor at her rehab facility suggested she call Infant Crisis Services.
“I was terrified to make that first call. I didn’t know if they would judge me because of my situation. I didn’t know how I would be treated.” When Kalisse came through our doors, she was met with kindness, respect, compassion, and love, the four core values around which Infant Crisis Services was built. She was loved, and welcomed with open arms. She received diapers, formula, a bouncy seat, clothing, and a few other items to care for Auriana. Beyond receiving these items, Kalisse was encouraged to see that her past is not what defines her. Her strength, her dignity, and her HOPE for the future had been restored. Finally, Kalisse knew she and Auriana were going to be okay.
Earlier this year, we were reunited with Kalisse and her three children when she returned to Infant Crisis Services as a donor. Her impactful experience here stuck with her, and 15 years later when she had the means to give back—she did just that. She broke the cycles of addiction, poverty, and neglect in her family and stepped into the cycles of service and care. Today, Kalisse works closely with women in recovery and helps others towards brighter futures, just like Infant Crisis Services did for her. We know it is difficult to ask for help, but it is often the bravest step a person can take. We are so grateful to have played a small part in her life and the lives of others we serve daily.
