St. Vincent Sarah Fisher Home for Children

St Vincent Sarah Fisher Home for Children is facing the wrecking ball, my residence for ten years.

Both of my parents suffered from mental illness. My dad was able to work most of the time and was the glue that held our family together.

He was a WWII veteran and was a lifelong member of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV).

I am hoping when the new owners take charge of the orphanage that they do what they say and preserve the Chapel.

My father had us stop in the Chapel on Fridays when he picked us up and on Sundays when we returned to offer a prayer for our family.

I often asked my dad when we would be going to the Chapel, when will we be going home? His response was always the same, "In God's own time."

God's own time would be ten years, but my father had an unwavering faith. Struggles for me continue to this day as I have bipolar disorder, but I have been blessed with a loving community and the nuns who raised me, as I was two when I went to the orphanage, continue to play an important role in my life.

My Aunt Madeline, who recently passed away, was a true loving support along with my grandma.

All the years that I lived in the orphanage, I never learned why the other children were there. We just knew it was not home.

The nuns, the maids, kitchen staff, social workers, grandparents and volunteers all contributed to my upbringing and for that, I am grateful.

I was informed this is Van Gogh's birthday and he was posthumously diagnosed with bipolar disorder and today, March 30, is bipolar disorder day.

I am grateful I had the opportunity to know my mom as in those days, they didn't really have the best medicines.

I hope others will be inspired to share their personal story by me sharing part of my story. I wrote this in a private section on Facebook that is reserved for the children and staff of the orphanage.