Tony's Story

I consider myself one of the lucky ones. I made it out and found the love and guidance of a family at Boys Town.

My mother was a drug addict and prostituted herself. When I was eight months old, I went to live with my great-grandmother, who became my “mom.”

My great-grandma got sick with cancer and died when I was 11. For the next year, I lived on the streets with my two older brothers, Terrance and Tyron. There was a lot of gang violence and drug dealing in the neighborhood. We didn’t go to school, and sometimes we had to steal to stay alive.

Eventually, a parish priest in the neighborhood stepped in. He helped me and Tyron get into Boys Town.

It was tough adjusting to Boys Town. At first, I didn’t trust anyone. I was always wondering what people wanted from me. I just didn’t believe people could be so good.

Eventually, I realized how much everyone cared about me. I started playing sports and got involved in school and social activities. I started making good choices. Fortunately, that’s continued throughout my life.

After graduating high school at Boys Town in 1988, I went to college. I met my wife, Simone, got married, and eventually earned my bachelor’s degree.

I don’t know if it was fate or something else, but in 1996, Simone and I decided to become Family-Teachers at Boys Town. It was my opportunity to do for other kids what so many people did for me. Now we’re raising our own three children as we show a new generation of troubled kids how to be part of a caring family.

From what I see in the kids we care for every day, and what I’ve seen myself growing up here, hope is alive and well at Boys Town.

The stories provided about the children and families in our care are real. In some cases, names my be changed and details altered to protect their privacy and therapeutic interests.