Yannick’s Story
For the first 7 years of his life Yannick was happy and secure, living on a maple syrup farm outside of Quebec City. Summers were spent exploring the fields and farm, and winters were spent snowmobiling and playing in the snow. The picturesque life of a young French boy, growing up in the safety and security of a loving family. But at the age of 7, Yannick’s life would change drastically. While at school one afternoon, Yannick’s father pulled him out of class and told him to say goodbye to his classmates. Believing he was going to a doctor’s appointment, he gingerly waved to his friends and promised to play again the next day. But unfortunately , this promise would never be fulfilled.
Unbeknownst to Yannick, he had been placed into foster care as a baby. The family that he grew up with, was loved by, and felt secure in was in fact not his biological family. With not even a hint of what was coming, Yannick was both shocked and betrayed when he was taken from school that day and told that he would be moving to the city with his ‘real’ mother the following day. What happens to a child when everything they know in their few short years of life is suddenly taken from them? Security, Love, Belonging, Safety…Gone overnight. To be clear, Yannick emphasizes that his real mother meant only the best for him. She had given him up at a young age as she was incapable of providing for him. It was the responsible thing to do. And now, 7 years later, she had re-claimed her life and was in a better position to love and care for her young son. His new step-dad and sister worked hard at making him feel part of the family, but trust no longer came easily to Yannick. The false sense of security that he had experienced early in life would unfortunately effect so many areas of his life later on. As an adult Yannick moved West to Vancouver in search of work. After years of living with the pain of rejection, deep insecurities and failed relationships, he turned to drugs in an attempt to numb the pain. But the temporary fix ended up causing more pain in the end and years later, deep in his addiction, Yannick reached out to RAN Mission for help.
In the OASIS Residential Addiction Recovery Treatment Services program, residents walk through some difficult steps in hopes of conquering the demons that have taken over their lives. The faith-based Genesis program allows the individual to develop new coping strategies, support networks, healthy lifestyles and independence in a drug and alcohol-free environment and it is here that Yannick’s life has begun to turn around. After 4 months in the program, he has recognized some of the triggers that have affected his life negatively over the years. With the help of the RAN Mission staff, Yannick is moving forward and becoming equipped in new ways. He no longer longs for the numbness that drugs provide, but instead has learned to face his issues head on. Yannick has discovered that he doesn’t have to live in fear of being rejected. As he slowly lowers his barriers, he has begun to build new friendships with the other OASIS residents and with the staff that he works with on a daily basis. ‘There are lots of triggers that can make you act a certain way, but at the end of the day you have a choice. The tools I’m learning are helping me to make better choices.