Chapter 31

I had preconceived notions about what Healing Wings would be once we opened the doors; it was nothing like the reality of what hit. I expected people to slowly drift in and have plenty of time to work with each person and cultivate our programs. I never anticipated the barrage of calls from physicians and psychiatrists all over the county the day we opened trying to place patients.

The phones rang off the hook, and we all answered calls trying to work in appointments, but sadly, we still had people on a wait list. It appalled me that this need existed and no one knew. This should've been something our community met with arms wide open, but the people we saw and talked to daily were hurt and scared. They were afraid to tell anyone their secrets, and many had lived with the shame and guilt they felt for years. We offered anonymity; we didn't request social security numbers, and giving us contact information was optional. We issued all patients an identification number for our staff to