7-year-old boy in domestic violence shelter writes heartbreaking letter to Santa
(Courtesy: Safe Haven of Tarrant County)
FORT WORTH, Texas - A mother in a Texas domestic violence shelter found her son's heartbreaking letter to Santa Claus, showing how the boy is struggling with his family's situation during the holidays.
The 7-year-old boy, identified only as Blake, is living with his mom at one of several emergency shelters operated by Safe Haven of Tarrant County, which helps domestic violence victims in the Fort Worth area.
Blake's mom found his letter to Santa in his backpack, where he wrote about being scared of his father.
Related: Knowing the signs of domestic violence
In addition to asking Santa for books, Blake requested a "very, very, very good dad."
The full letter read:
Dear Santa,
We had to leave our house. Dad was mad. We had to do all the chores. Dad got everything he wanted. Mom said it was time to leave and she would take us to a safer place where we don’t have to be scared.
I’m still nervous. I don’t want to talk to the other kids. Are you going to come this Christmas? We don’t have any of our stuff here. Can you bring some chapter books, a dictionary, and a compass and a watch? I also want a very, very, very good dad. Can you do that, too?
Love, Blake
After sharing Blake's letter on their Facebook page, Safe Haven provided an update thanking the public for the outpouring of support.
"For those concerned, we can assure you that Blake and his mom's safety has not been compromised by sharing his letter," they wrote.
The shelter said donations have helped grant Blake's Christmas wishes, along with other kids living there. They added that donations also help to ensure the families continue having a safe place to stay, since the shelter is provided at no cost to victims.
For more information or to make a donation, visit Safe Haven of Tarrant County's website.
If you are a victim of domestic violence in Florida, you can call the statewide crisis hotline at 800-500-1119, and every community has a center to help domestic violence victims.