Being a teenager is complicated at the best of times. For former Lighthouse young person Sean, his younger years were filled with fear and anger after being treated unsafely by adults.
At 17, Sean was living in Western Australia, when he was forced to leave his family home and seek shelter at a youth refuge. When a relative in Victoria offered to take him in, he began the long journey over to Melbourne which meant taking a flight to a different city, far away from everything and everyone he knew.
Sean was terrified of flying. With a childhood marked by experiences of powerlessness, he dreaded being up so high and feeling out of control. Sean was flying alone towards an uncertain future. Unfortunately, soon after he arrived, his relative became unwell and was no longer able to take care of him. Thankfully it wasn’t long before Sean was referred to Lighthouse Foundation and moved into one of our safe homes offering long term, stable accommodation. Sean was immediately encircled by the support of our carers, therapists and community committee members. Living with other young people in a safe, structured and nurturing home was completely new to him.
“Being heard by psychologists and dealing with things that had happened to me was confronting. Sometimes it was so uncomfortable that I rebelled. Food fights, silent treatment, outbursts - you get the picture. Now I look back and see that Lighthouse gave me the building blocks to overcome big fears.” While living in a family style environment at Lighthouse, Sean was able to connect with other young people and for the first time in his life, create relationships with adults that were positive and safe. Every interaction and conversation he had with his carers presented an opportunity for healing and connection. Sean fondly recalls a meaningful relationship with one of his carers, Marissa.
“Marissa always had this amazing positive, warm energy. She was a real parent figure to me.”
“When someone came into my life, I expected them to leave, but Marissa never did. She treated me with kindness and helped me to understand that although everyone has a past…it doesn’t have to dictate your future. I could start living the life I’d always dreamt of”.
Feeling safe and cared for at Lighthouse allowed Sean to explore new passions and skills. He began making music and with his newfound confidence, he even took to the stage to perform a self-written song at a local community committee event. Surrounded by the supportive Lighthouse family, Sean felt comfortable being himself, and openly shared his experiences and beliefs with the wider community.
“Being able to express myself fully and tell others I was gay was a pivotal moment for me. I knew that I’d always have the love and support of the carers and other young people”. Sean says.
When Sean finally transitioned into independent living, he was equipped with the lifelong learnings and skills created at Lighthouse. Conquering his fear of flying, Sean began to travel overseas where he met his partner, Lorenzo. He fell in love and six years later the pair are still together, married in fact! Lorenzo’s loving family have fully embraced Sean, like Lighthouse did, and now the couple are now even planning on starting their own little family together.
Sean’s incredible healing journey, although challenging at times, shows break in the pattern of intergenerational trauma. We know that any child would be lucky to experience the love, commitment and zest for life that he brings to the world.
Today Sean works as a Virgin Airlines cabin crew member, while also running a small business, when he and Lorenzo aren’t adventuring around the globe. Looking back, Sean sees Lighthouse as being the stable ground from which he could take off and begin his new life.
“If I hadn’t come to Lighthouse I would probably be on the street, who knows, probably worse. If it wasn’t for Sue, so many people like me wouldn’t be where they are today.”
Sean says, “I wanted my life to mean something. I wanted to be someone, I wanted to do something. I wanted to go somewhere and Lighthouse made that possible. I’m so proud of where I am today.”
Our entire Lighthouse community feel incredibly honoured to have had Sean come into our lives and watch him grow into the incredible person he is today. We know for Sean; the sky is the limit.