Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/198486
Youth Homelessness Initiative FOSTERING BY MARTIN LIVINGSTON CHANGE PHOTOS BRIAN HAWKES Youth aging out of government care find support as they transition to adulthood – and independence (above) Robert Davidson has learned to live independently thanks to Aunt Leah's Place. Robert Davidson, 19, has been fending for himself ever since he can remember. The youngest of three brothers, the Surrey youth was initially raised by a single mother. A health care worker at Vancouver General Hospital, she contracted Hepatitis C when Davidson was six years old. She was placed on disability and spent the next nine years in and out of hospital, battling the infectious disease and complications from diabetes. Meanwhile, Davidson and his brothers were placed in various foster homes and respite care. By the time Davidson was 13, his mother's condition turned critical and she was spending most of her time in hospital. His once-secure home environment was turned upside down. With no adult supervision, his middle brother turned the family home into a party house, where cocaine and alcohol flowed freely. Fall 2013 I Vancouver Foundation l page 9 p09-11 Aunt Leah's Place.indd 9 13-10-11 1:31 PM