Clemson’s McElrathbeys
I found a really great story on Ramon (Ray Ray) McElrathbey. Ray Ray McElrathbey is a 19 year-old Clemson football player who has been granted custody of his 11 year-old brother. The elder McElrathbey petitioned the courts for custody of his younger brother to keep his little brother out of Foster Care.
Success stories of folks involved with the Foster Care system is near and dear to our family. My wife Sherry is an honor graduate out of the Foster Care system. It looks like Ray Ray is on track to help make his little brother Fahmarr an honor graduate from Foster Care.
The Clemson player has been granted a waiver that gives him permission by the NCAA to receive money through a trust fund. The fund will help Ray Ray support his little brother. Read and listen to more on this story from SI and NPR.
September 20th, 2006 at 1:22 pm
I am a former foster child and current child advocate.
Has your wife Sherry ever heard of Foster Care Alumni of America? You can learn more about them at http://www.fostercarealumni.org
It’s a relatively new national organizations, and chapters are currently being founded and designed in seven states. I am proud to be a chapter designee for my state.
When I joined, I was amazed by how many success stories there were out there. So often, we only hear the horror stories of foster care. I know that I personally have struggled off and on with “survivor guilt” over the years, because I made it through college and graduate school, and now have a loving husband and a great job.
So many of my peers whom I formerly lived in foster placements haven’t been that lucky.
So, to me, the best thing about FCAA is that foster youth and foster alumni can come together and form a collective voice in order to create positive change.
Lisa
http://sunshinegirlonarainyday.blogspot.com/
http://www.sunshinegirlonarainyday.com
September 20th, 2006 at 9:17 pm
Lisa,
Thanks for the comment and the links. My wife says that she has not heard of FCAA. She did join a delegation to Washington D.C. as a teenager where she met with several senators and congressmen to help promote awareness of the positive side of Foster Care. I remember her telling me that she met with Rep (now Gov) Sanford and the former Senator Hollings from SC while she was in DC.
We both hate to see a movie or a TV show that displays Foster Care in a bad light. Foster children get a bad wrap because of this and it is a shame.
Hank O