Happy Birthday Son!
Looking Back…
New parents look down at the
face of a newborn child and wish that their child will grow up happy, healthy
and successful. Such was the case for a couple in 1978 when they
adopted a baby boy. Daniel James Bronold was brought home from the
hospital and began his life like so many children in America. Two parents
loved him and provided a good home with Christian values. Dan’s childhood went
by fairly unscathed with fun times swimming, fishing, snowmobiling and a love
of basketball.
But when Dan became a teen
things changed dramatically. His efforts in school diminished and his
respect for authority went downhill. By high school, he was skipping school
frequently, smoking pot, hanging with a crowd of friends that were in to living
in the moment like him. His friends of the past were gone. His
anger towards authority, rules and regulations were playing havoc in the
household and in his life. His parents saw the signs of a life spiraling
downhill and tried all paths to get him back on track but each avenue was met
with outright defiance.
Dan dropped out of school, and developed a lifetime habit of
self-destruction. He had brief periods where he would try to turn things around. The moments
of clarity, there would be amends made, and signs of hope but they were brief.
And then, he would drop back into his pattern even further and
angrier than the time before, more depressed and more dysfunctional.
As Dan’s step mother, it was
plain for me to see, early on, that Dan’s father was a silent supporter of his
son. Countless times during calls and sporadic visits, he reiterated to
his son that he had the power to change if he made the choice. The
pattern Dan developed was using his dad for the staple Dan was always in short
supply of, money. The last few years of his life, Dan’s only calls to his dad
were 911 calls “Dad, help me, I need money for bail, for rent, for drugs, for
food, etc.”
Gone were the meaningful dialogues between father and son. In its place now was
deception, lies and a hunger to feed a lifestyle that was totally out of
control. When he couldn't manipulate his dad, he then
tried working him through me. Dan had a sweet heart but he didn't let it guide
his choices. Inside, he needed help, and yet refused to go get it.
His father loved him enough to step aside and not be part of the problem by
only giving him money. His dad wanted to only give money to Dan if it was used
as part of the solution, e.g. counseling, education. Their love was mutual, but
the communication was gone. Only Dan had the power to change and we
prayed it would happen.
The waiting was over on March
19th, 2012; a change had come. The news that flashed on the local TV
network simply showed a mug shot of a Hispanic young man, dead at 33 years
old. Dan Bronold was awaiting trial for tentative charges, hung
himself in a jail cell after being in solitary confinement since early December
2011 and an investigation was underway to figure out how this happened in
the Ingham County Jail. Daniel James Bronold, he is gone from this earth
but never ever forgotten. He lives in the life of those that love him and those
he touched forever.
Moving On…
A
special memorial is being started by Dan’s father to help young teens find
their way out of this downward spiral before it is too late. This
situation with Dan and his parents is happening all over this country.
Young teens lose their live; parents lose control of their kids and run out of
options. This continues into adulthood, our prisons are full of such
stories. A decision was made on the anniversary of Dan’s death to commit
to a special memorial fund and to ask others to consider it as well. So
much work needs to be done in this area and Dan’s story can give others the
chance. We feel Dan would want this, and would be proud to lend his name
to the efforts for change.
Thus,
a tremendous amount of research went into finding just the right program within
Michigan in remembrance of Dan. We knew Michigan has a high incidence of
issues in this area and as a state; they are hurting terribly for funding. We
wanted to help a program that needed help, where our donation dollars would
make a difference and be noticed.
Midcourse
Correction Challenge Camps stood out easily as the choice. It was started
over 20 years ago for at-risk teens, ages 11-17. This is exactly the age where
Dan began his descent and this is the critical time to get things turned
around. It has a military structure, so that the teens are able to learn
self-control. The military aspect makes it highly structured and
supervised, but also it’s positive, and unlike other camps, does not tear
teens down.
We quickly learned that this is not a camp that just barks orders. They teach
teens to take responsibility for their actions, while learning tools for
life. They do a series of hands-on, group based activities that teach
goal setting, trust, communication, doing hard things, depending on, and
working with others, and how to respect themselves, and authority. The teens
are shown where they are heading based on the choices that they are making. The
teens will gain new levels of self-esteem as well as respect for others.
The program is tough, physically, but also mentally. It really gets the
teens to examine their choices and behavior, and where it will get them.
Too many teens lack motivation, make up rules as they go, and live in the
moment. Midcourse is designed to wake these teens up, and get them on the
right path, and prevent as many of these Dan stories as they can. Most of
the teens that attend camp are forever changed.
Midcourse
also provides outreach to the teens after they leave camp. There is
follow up with the teens to see how they are doing. If they aren’t doing
well, they will make house calls to the teen’s home, or have phone
conversations with the teen to try and get them back on track. They also
have a mentoring program called Honor Company where the teens can come back and
learn about things like; integrity, charity, relationships, and self-control.
They are very steadfast when it comes to not giving up on teens. They
also provide parenting classes to help bring some peace and stability into
these homes; this program truly cares about results and the teens it mentors.
We
spoke to the director of Midcourse, Rich Wood, several times as well as a
staff member. We found that Midcourse separates itself from so many other
programs. Rich has a strong Christian influence that helps him guide this
mission. Rich and the staff have a passion and conviction to make a
difference in the lives of young people. It was apparent that Midcourse
runs on limited funds. Any amount we can give or can draw to their
program is needed and will be used to help a teen have a chance to better their
live.
Each
year Midcourse has to turn away hundreds of kids, because their parents cannot
afford the $425 to send them for the weekend camp. If even one of these
teens end up like Dan, that is one too many. This will be an annual
donation on Dan’s birthday, August 12th. Please consider if this is a
worthwhile contribution for you. The youth of today are the true future
of tomorrow, these teens, if not turned around are not going to be the
good guys in society.
Most
boot camps are unforgiving in nature. Most boot camps are extremely
expensive. This one is neither. Counseling is expensive and many
teens won’t go. This option does not involve either. Counseling did
not help Dan or
save him from dying. Dan never went to a camp like this. Getting teens
out of their element and peer group and to this Camp can be critical.
Maybe a
camp like this would have saved Dan; we will never know. Giving a tax
free donation in any amount to this program is a way to find out.
It is helping a parent that can’t afford to send a child to camp but needs to
or a teen that is willing to go
but can’t afford to. Are you willing to throw money in the pot to make
someone’s community safer?
At-risk
teens need to know that they can change. This needs to happen before they throw
their lives away. This program brings about positive results. Maybe all kids
can’t be saved, but maybe your dollar will be the one that saves a lost soul
like Dan before the phone rings and brings news that he is not coming home
again…ever.
Donations can be sent to:
Midcourse Correction
Attn: Dan Bronold Memorial Fund
833 E Grand River Ave
Howell, MI 48843 * Note: The opening page of the video should state the name of the camp as Midcourse Correction Challenge Camp.
Make checks payable to :Midcourse Correction.
Put: Dan Bronold Memorial Fund in Memo section of check or on note w/check (or can call directly to put on credit card for donating for this fund)
Midcourse is a non-profit organization; your donations are tax deductible.
You
will receive a receipt from MCC.
Please contact them directly 810-227-0243 for CC Payments.
