Dawson Family Healing Transitions: Abuse, Loss, and Finding Our Path

Rita Dawson
Rita Dawson Benton, Kentucky

Dawson Family Healing Transitions: Abuse, Loss, and Finding Our Path

My name is Michael and my wife’s name is Rita.  We met on a high school Facebook page that had recently been started by a mutual friend in the summer of 2023.  Rita had previously been married to a wonderful man, Bill.  Bill died suddenly of a heart attack.

The trauma from such a sudden loss of someone that had been a loving and dedicated husband has had a lasting effect on Rita.  They had also been raising two of their grandchildren.  Jaysonn and Axell.  They were 9 and 5 years old at the time.  This was devastating to them as well.  Bill was the father that they needed after being in a household of physical, emotional & sexual abuse.  Together, Bill & Rita had hired lawyers to seek custody and won those rights.  The boys had finally found love, structure and normalcy in their lives.  When Bill passed, it turned their world upside down.  Rita was left with two grieving boys and no time for herself to grieve properly.

               I have shared custody of two grandchildren as well.  Delilah (7) & Aelijah (5). Aelijah lives with us full time, and we have Delilah every other weekend.         Their father put the children in situations where they witnessed their mother being physically & sexually abused.  They had also been threatened but were removed from the home before the situation progressed.

Although Aelijah was a toddler at the time, he has memories of the events that have had a lasting effect on him.  He tends to be aggressive with his friends and to disobey those in authority.  He seeks out things that he knows he should not do, in order to act out his frustrations.

               There have been too many coincidences that point to God placing us together at this point in our lives.  The children bonded instantly and love each other as siblings should.  I have come to love Jaysonn and Axell as my own.  Likewise, Rita has become the mother figure that Delilah & Aelijah have needed for so long.

               For Rita, Jaysonn, Axell, and Aelijah to heal properly, they will need counseling for the next few years.  Jaysonn has been seeing a Christian counsellor for only a few months, and we are already witnessing the benefits of such an environment.  This not only takes time and patience, but will also be a struggle for us financially.  We pray that this need is recognized, and our prayers are answered.

               Thank you for taking your time to hear our story.

STRIPE charges an online processing fee (2.2% +.30 USD per transaction)*. Your donations will be decreased by this amount. You may also send a check payable to “Lifesong for Orphans”. In the memo line please write “Dawson 90551”, to ensure it is credited to our account. Please mail to Lifesong for Orphans, PO Box 9, Gridley, IL 61744.

Lifesong has been blessed with partners who underwrite all U.S. administrative and fundraising costs (TMG Foundation and other partners). That means 100% of your donation will go directly to the adoption.

  • In following IRS guidelines, your donation is to Lifesong for Orphans. This organization retains full discretion over its use, but intends to honor the donor’s suggested use.
  • Lifesong is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization. Individual donations of $50 or more and yearly donations totaling $250 or more will receive a tax-deductible receipt. Receipts for donations under $50 will gladly be sent upon request.
  • *3.5% fee for donations given with an American Express card
Read more
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My Story

Dawson Family Healing Transitions: Abuse, Loss, and Finding Our Path

My name is Michael and my wife’s name is Rita.  We met on a high school Facebook page that had recently been started by a mutual friend in the summer of 2023.  Rita had previously been married to a wonderful man, Bill.  Bill died suddenly of a heart attack.

The trauma from such a sudden loss of someone that had been a loving and dedicated husband has had a lasting effect on Rita.  They had also been raising two of their grandchildren.  Jaysonn and Axell.  They were 9 and 5 years old at the time.  This was devastating to them as well.  Bill was the father that they needed after being in a household of physical, emotional & sexual abuse.  Together, Bill & Rita had hired lawyers to seek custody and won those rights.  The boys had finally found love, structure and normalcy in their lives.  When Bill passed, it turned their world upside down.  Rita was left with two grieving boys and no time for herself to grieve properly.

               I have shared custody of two grandchildren as well.  Delilah (7) & Aelijah (5). Aelijah lives with us full time, and we have Delilah every other weekend.         Their father put the children in situations where they witnessed their mother being physically & sexually abused.  They had also been threatened but were removed from the home before the situation progressed.

Although Aelijah was a toddler at the time, he has memories of the events that have had a lasting effect on him.  He tends to be aggressive with his friends and to disobey those in authority.  He seeks out things that he knows he should not do, in order to act out his frustrations.

               There have been too many coincidences that point to God placing us together at this point in our lives.  The children bonded instantly and love each other as siblings should.  I have come to love Jaysonn and Axell as my own.  Likewise, Rita has become the mother figure that Delilah & Aelijah have needed for so long.

               For Rita, Jaysonn, Axell, and Aelijah to heal properly, they will need counseling for the next few years.  Jaysonn has been seeing a Christian counsellor for only a few months, and we are already witnessing the benefits of such an environment.  This not only takes time and patience, but will also be a struggle for us financially.  We pray that this need is recognized, and our prayers are answered.

               Thank you for taking your time to hear our story.

STRIPE charges an online processing fee (2.2% +.30 USD per transaction)*. Your donations will be decreased by this amount. You may also send a check payable to “Lifesong for Orphans”. In the memo line please write “Dawson 90551”, to ensure it is credited to our account. Please mail to Lifesong for Orphans, PO Box 9, Gridley, IL 61744.

Lifesong has been blessed with partners who underwrite all U.S. administrative and fundraising costs (TMG Foundation and other partners). That means 100% of your donation will go directly to the adoption.

  • In following IRS guidelines, your donation is to Lifesong for Orphans. This organization retains full discretion over its use, but intends to honor the donor’s suggested use.
  • Lifesong is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization. Individual donations of $50 or more and yearly donations totaling $250 or more will receive a tax-deductible receipt. Receipts for donations under $50 will gladly be sent upon request.
  • *3.5% fee for donations given with an American Express card
Read more

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