Acts of Kindness
Teen Gets Kicked Out of Abusive Home, Shares Beautiful Story After Moving In With Principal
After hearing about an abusive situation at home, the vice principal offered to take him in.
Jonathan Maes
05.18.18

Unfortunately, not all children can rely on their parents to provide them with the support and love they deserve. That was the case for the 19-year-old Tieler Williams from Palmdale, California, who has almost never known a loving and warm home.

When Tieler got kicked out by his mom, he had nowhere to go and had to sleep on benches in a park.

Luckily, help came from an unexpected source, and the young man decided to share his special story.

Tieler Williams
Source:
Tieler Williams

At the time of five years old, Tieler’s mom got together with a new man and while it went alright for a while, things took a turn for the worse when he started to do drugs. He became verbally and physically abusive, and Tieler was so fed up that he hit the man with a bat. The abusive man ran away and never came back – but the abuse in the Williams family was far from over.

“[He] was a good man at first,” Tieler wrote on Love What Matters. “He cooked and cleaned and played with us all. Things took a turn when he got addicted to drugs. I remember seeing his eyes light up as he inflicted pain on me, my mom, or my siblings. The things I had to watch still cut deep. I witnessed inhumane things done to human beings. For four years, I witnessed and endured the abuse myself, verbal, physical and emotional abuse. I saw my mom raped and I heard her cry for help. I hit ‘R’ with a bat trying to get him off my mom. I did enough damage to hurt him but didn’t kill him and he left that night for good.”

The whole incident sparked a number of legal procedures and visits from social workers. Tieler was introduced to lawyers and social workers came to check on him and his two older brothers. He was immensely motivated to become a lawyer himself one day and become a voice of the voiceless. Tieler had a new purpose in life.

“Through this experience, he showed me my purpose in life. I knew at that moment I wanted to be a lawyer and be that voice for the voiceless. I never wanted anyone to feel that they are voiceless. That motivation stuck with me and kept me focused on school even in the hardest times of my life. No matter how chaotic life was at home, school was always the same. School work was under my control and I could do it, and succeed, and make my own path.”

Unfortunately, Tieler’s mom kept attracting the wrong boyfriends. All of them took advantage of her financially and most abused her.

“As she chased more and more love, the men got worse. They stole, they cheated and abused her, and they saw that she put them first before herself and kids. As this cycle continued my brothers moved out to go to college and never looked back at the toxic environment they came from. I then became the man of the house, but I was far from a man, especially when I had never seen a real man.” Tieler recalls.

When his mom got hit by a car, Tieler wanted to give her another chance.

Tieler Williams
Source:
Tieler Williams

However, her injuries resulting in her getting addicted to painkiller medication. Her boyfriend at the time couldn’t handle all the new responsibilities, and Tieler later discovered that he was abusive as well.

“As the cycle with men continued, my mom was hit by a car. She was walking in a crosswalk; however, the driver was texting. This made me have a new appreciation and acceptance for my mom. I wanted to give her a second chance. The accident however led to her addiction to painkillers. She had a boyfriend at the time of the accident, but he got fed up with all of the new responsibilities he had now taking care of his disabled girlfriend, and her four kids.” (…) “We fought, and he ended up leaving and that left us with no one to help my mom or us.”

Men came and went, but the latest one was the final straw for the young student. He discovered that his mom’s newest boyfriend was on the sex offenders list and a convicted rapist. He stole all of Tieler’s money, and the three had a hefty altercation. That’s when his mom kicked him out of the home for good.

“When I got home the night that I found out, I found my room trashed and the money that I had been saving from my part time job was gone. That’s when I confronted him and my mom about my room and about him being a sex offender and it became a huge argument. That’s when my mom told me to leave and never come back. She said she was tired of me and then those final words ‘Tieler you ain’t sh**. Everyone will realize you’re full of sh**.’”

Tieler will never forget those words, but knew he couldn’t give up on his dream.

Sometimes, he slept on benches in parks, while he could sleep on the couch of friends on other days. However, Tieler realized that this situation couldn’t continue, especially since he was close to graduating and would be making the jump to college soon.

Tieler Williams
Source:
Tieler Williams

A visit to the vice principal of his high school changed his life around.

“(…) my vice principal made the decision to take me into her home so I could finish high school and have my shot at going to college.”

Tieler felt embarrassed and scared, and he was a new member of the vice principal’s family just five days afterward. He wanted to prove his mom wrong. Because he never grew up in normal circumstances, the young man wasn’t used to being in a loving family and while the transition didn’t always go flawlessly, he and his foster family never gave up on each other. They treated him as their own.

“The family welcomed me with open arms. They never judged me or pitied me and they treated me as one of their own. I started to see how a real family interacts, and how they love without giving up on each other.”

Tieler Williams
Source:
Tieler Williams

Months passed and Tieler went to prom, and his foster parents Jen and Jeremiah were immensely proud of him. His foster siblings supported him in all of his sports games, and Jen helped him with his math courses.

“My foster mom, her husband, and their two kids love me unconditionally and I am learning what that means. They sent me off to prom in a nice tux and watched me walk the stage at graduation. Then they helped prepare me for college. I had to take a summer math class and I couldn’t get through a math problem without breaking something, yet my foster mom sat there and went step by step with me. Even when I gave up she didn’t. No one had sat with me and helped me before; no one had ever taken the time to help me. I started to see that they loved me and believed in me even when I wasn’t at my best.”

After his graduation, Tieler moved to the Cal State Channel Islands. The family always kept supporting him throughout his first year of college and helped Tieler become the warm and kind man he is today.

Tieler Williams
Source:
Tieler Williams

Tieler decided to share his special story, hoping to spread a message of hope and love.

“The love, the support, the care, and the effort of my foster family speaks volumes about their character. I admire my foster dad Jeremiah. I’ve never met such a phenomenal father, husband and teacher. He was the first real man I was able to learn from. Jen, my foster mom, is such an extraordinary human being. Her fight to see kids succeed is what makes this world a better place. She became my mom and has given me the confidence and resources to achieve my dreams. My relationship with their kids, Ian and Aaron, has made me a better person. They have shown me the joy of being a kid and growing up. Even my foster grandparents have treated me as their own. They constantly have been there to offer whatever they can. I appreciate this family and I would not be the man I am today or the man I want to become without this family.”

“No one should feel alone and I will do what I can to share my story and show kids that hope and love are possible.”

“I never gave up on my dreams and I am still learning to accept the love that I have been given. It’s been difficult to see but I know now that my mom was wrong and I don’t have to prove that to anyone.”

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