Shelter shares heartbreaking letter written to Santa by 7-year-old boy with abusive dad

Trigger Warning: Domestic Abuse

Growing up in a household in which domestic abuse is prevalent can be tough. Living with an abuser or witnessing domestic abuse can have serious and long-lasting psychological impacts on a young child. From forcing them to grow up much earlier or faster than they need to or depriving them of the love and support they need to thrive, experiencing or standing witness to domestic abuse can be tough and heartbreaking. But no one ever really understands what a young child feels until they listen to them and understand their emotions. Recently, a domestic shelter posted a letter that Blake, a seven-year-old boy who grew up with an abusive dad, had written to Santa. And it will break your heart into a million little pieces.

The SafeHaven of Tarrant County domestic shelter, taking to social media platform Facebook, posted, "Blake is a seven-year-old boy in one of our shelters, and his mom found this letter to Santa in his backpack a few weeks ago." The letter read, "Dear Santa, we had to leave our house. Dad was mad. We had to do all the chores. Dad got everything he wanted. Mom said it was time to leave and she would take us to a safer place where we don't have to feel scared. I'm still nervous. I don't want to talk to the other kids. Are you going to come this Christmas? We don't have any of our stuff here. Can you bring me some chapter books, a dictionary, a compass, and a watch? I also want a very, very, very good dad. Can you do that too? Love, Blake."

If tears aren't streaming down your face like literal waterfalls, I'm sorry, but you probably do not have a heart. Or just an ice-cold one. Blake is only one of the 117 women and children currently residing at this domestic shelter. Many of the residents sadly share similar stories and experiences. Thankfully, through donations, they are able to have warm meals and a roof over their heads. The SafeHaven of Tarrant County stated, "Thanks to your donations through Santa's Sack, Blake is getting exactly what he asked for from Santa. But with 117 women and children needing shelter this holiday season, we need your help to make sure they have a safe place to stay throughout December."

Additionally, they wanted to let everyone know that Blake and his mom were safe, comfortable, and free from harm. "We so appreciate everyone's concern over the safety of Blake and his family," the shelter affirmed. "Victim safety has been our priority for over 40 years, and we would never compromise that through a social media post or otherwise. Blake and his mom are safe! Thank you for your concern for his family." If you would like to make a donation to help Blake and children like him, you can do so by clicking here. This holiday season, let's make sure everyone has just a little bit of love to carry around in their pockets.