Drugs, alcohol and fighting had taken their toll on Ryan by the time he reached KBHC’s Wilderness program. The 16-year-old had dealt with years of abuse and neglect by hurting himself and others. But he wasn’t ready to accept help immediately.

“I didn’t want any part of this place when I first came,” he said. Now he thinks otherwise.

“I’d probably be dead right now, in a coffin, if this program hadn’t changed my life a whole lot,” Ryan said. “The staff loves kids. You just know they will do anything in the world for you.”

Ryan is drug-free now and was recently baptized. He hopes to share his life-changing story with his family.

“I’ve got a little brother following in my footsteps right now, and I want to show him what I’ve learned,” he said.