Dear DHS

Dear DHS,

Graduation is a time for congratulations, for recognition and for giving thanks.  While we are so proud of our son, Kyle Chin, we would like to congratulate and thank all of you as well.  You all provided so much support to us, in so many ways. You may not have even realized that you helped. So we, Kyle’s parents, would like you to know that all of your efforts are appreciated.

Some of you know Kyle’s story well.  Others may not know it at all. We will try to be as brief as we can in recapping it.

Kyle began to experience bouts of pain just after starting middle school.  At first, it seemed we could attribute it to jitters of starting a new school experience.  Over time, the pain got worse and more frequent. He missed large chunks of school. We sought out medical help.  We received multiple diagnoses, which led to various courses of treatment. Nothing seemed to work. He missed more and more school.  Everything seemed to come to a head when Kyle entered DHS. We were fortunate enough to get an appointment with a specialist at Boston Children’s Hospital.  Simply put Kyle is not able to shut off messages of pain going to his brain. He is always and will always, be in some level of pain. That pain manifests in his stomach, and can be intensified by anxiety.  It is a chicken and the egg scenario, as to whether his physical ailments trigger his anxiety or vice versa. We were happy to receive a viable diagnosis and thought we were trending up. But the pain got worse.  Kyle could barely leave the house. He missed months of freshman year. As fortune would have it, in the spring, a spot opened up in a program at Providence Children’s Hospital. At this time, 3 years ago, Kyle was transitioning out of that program and back into DHS.  We were focused only on getting him back to school full time. Graduation was the furthest thing from our minds. Frankly, it didn’t seem likely to happen. College seemed to be a wild dream. Graduating from DHS on time? Improbable.

      Kyle was determined to move on with his class, with his friends.  You all helped make that possible. In the final weeks of that school year, you all worked with Kyle and with us, to help put him in a position to pass.  Sure, his grades weren’t pretty. However, he was back at school full time and he was able to move on to sophomore year. Following that, he worked his way back to honors classes.  He brought his grades up. Then, he was accepted at a few colleges, ultimately choosing to pursue History and Archaeology at the University of South Carolina.

Kyle and we owe a lot to our DHS village.  It took everyone, teachers, administrators, guidance counselors, and staff.  Whenever we contacted DHS, our first greeting was “what can we do to help?” Help came in a multitude of ways. And it came often.  Seemingly little things, like a shared inside joke from Monty Python with a teacher, or a green wristband from a Phys Ed Volleyball Championship, went a long way towards building Kyle back up.  We know your jobs are not easy. Having to tailor plans to accommodate one student, makes that job even more complex. We hope you know we understand and appreciate that. Kyle’s graduation is your achievement too.  Congratulations!

With our deepest gratitude,

Demi and me