By Sarah Bey
Life often unfolds in unexpected ways. Seasons of loss and change can bring a deep need for healing and hope. For many families, these moments can feel overwhelming, yet with sufficient support, they also become opportunities for growth and a fresh start. At Methodist Children’s Home (MCH), staff walk alongside parents, caregivers and children through everyday struggles, offering compassionate care, practical help and a network of resources so they can flourish in every area of life.
In September 2021, Emily Hunter sat in a San Antonio hospital, watching the love of her life slip away from COVID-19. Their relationship spanned two decades and brought them a 10-year-old son, Cayden. Emily’s struggle with addiction meant Cayden lived primarily with his father and grandmother while she worked toward recovery.
Cayden’s father fell into a coma and died a few weeks later.
“I had to be 30 days clean after Cayden’s father passed in order to regain custody,” Emily recounted. “I was just gobsmacked. I was having a really tough time grieving. I suddenly became a single parent and I had not lived with Cayden for four years at that point. It was so much all at once.”
In the weeks that followed, Emily recognized her son needed more support, and the Hunters met with multiple doctors before finding one who could best address Cayden’s needs.
Cayden, now 13, was diagnosed with autism, dyslexia, intermittent explosive disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“I say he’s ‘neuro-spicy,’” Emily said, with a smile.
In their grief and “new normal,” Emily and Cayden found refuge and solace in their church community in Corpus Christi, Texas. Emily also joined a 12-step program that further supported her addiction recovery.
“Cayden and I started our relationship and lives over from scratch,” Emily said. “We really had to rebuild everything. It was almost like a rebirth. I learned to humble myself so I could listen to God.”
Emily said that time period included a lot of hard struggles.
Meeting essential needs like food, utilities and housing is often the first step toward stability for a family in crisis. MCH Family Outreach is committed to helping parents navigate these immediate challenges so they can focus on long-term goals for their children and themselves.
“I needed assistance with my electric bill in 2023, so I got in contact with Mission 911 (another local nonprofit) — who then referred me to MCH Family Outreach,” she said.
Marisol Gomez, director for MCH Family Outreach Corpus Christi, answered Emily’s phone call.
“I could hear in Emily’s voice she and her son needed our help,” Gomez said. “At MCH, we strive to be as creative as possible to meet families where they are. We knew we needed to help the Hunters however we could.”
Gomez remained on the phone with Emily for nearly an hour.
“I cried on the phone with Marisol and she just listened,” Emily said. “I told her I really wanted to be a better parent to Cayden. I wanted to have more skills especially since now I was his only parent.
“I had no idea what kind of services MCH provided or what else we needed. Every box for us — our social, emotional, mental, psychological, spiritual, financial, physical well-being — needed to be look at.”
Gomez encouraged Emily to attend an event for the new caregiver empowerment group (CEG) MCH Family Outreach was hosting at a public library. The group was created specifically for families who care for relatives with special needs. Case Manager Adriana Moreno led the group through different activities.
A caregiver empowerment group is one of the many ways MCH strengthens families. These gatherings not only provide emotional encouragement, but also equip parents and caregivers with practical skills, tailored resources and a supportive community. In Emily’s case, that meant specialized guidance for raising a child with unique needs.
“It was really divine intervention,” Gomez said. “Any one of our case managers could have led that group. Adriana nurtured a special relationship with Emily and Cayden from the beginning.”
From finance and cooking classes offered by community partners, to organizational binders filled with resources, Moreno tailored each CEG event to fit Emily and other parents’ needs.
“It was really up to Emily from the beginning what goals she wanted to tackle first and work toward,” Moreno said. “And steadily, we started seeing progress and success. Emily learned to advocate more for herself and her son and to communicate those needs without fear of being judged.”
“It was nice to connect with others in the caregiver empowerment group who were experiencing similar situations as me,” Emily said. “I did not feel as alone.”
After weeks of receiving support through the group, Moreno shared more with Emily about the team’s case management services.
“The staff had helped us out so much already; I didn’t realize there was even more they were able to do,” Emily said. “Adriana, Marisol and the rest of the MCH Family Outreach team welcomed us with open arms. The amount of resources and referrals Adriana helped me with is such a blessing.”
Those resources and referrals included connecting with Partners Resource Network after the Hunters ran into issues with Cayden’s charter school.
“I received a letter stating they were not going to allow Cayden back at school — that was a few weeks before the new school year was set to begin last year,” Emily said. “They did not have the necessary means in place to support Cayden. He was involved in a rough incident the previous school year.”
There are 53 schools within Corpus Christi Independent School District, with different zones and programs. Emily knew she needed help navigating the complex system to ensure Cayden would begin the seventh grade on time.
“I was devastated and losing sleep over it,” Emily said.
Many parents face overwhelming barriers in accessing the right educational resources for their children. MCH staff walk with families through these processes, offering advocacy, guidance and connections to specialized programs that can change the course of a child’s academic journey.
“Emily laid out all of the letters, paperwork and printed out emails on her dining table and we went through them together,” Moreno said. “We spent a lot of early mornings working through things. Partners Resource Network offered us more support and we were able to enroll Cayden at Harold C. Kaffie Middle School.”
Moreno explained this particular school has a Paths Program, where dedicated staff focus on mentoring and advocating for students with special needs. Emily has already seen a major improvement in Cayden’s grades and overall well-being since enrolling in the program.
“He is finding his stride in school,” she said. “Cayden’s academic journey has been very challenging, but now he is passing his classes and enjoying football. This has really been a triumph.”
Cayden has learned to regulate and better channel his energy through sports.
“I’m looking forward to playing more sports in the future,” the soon-to-be eighth grader said. “I like basketball and playing with my mom.”
Emily and Cayden feel their relationship is back on steady ground and admit it is something they will have to intentionally nurture every day. The two also enjoy cooking, painting, drives along the coast, and taking care of their beloved guinea pigs, Moon and Star.
“Their guinea pigs were an intentional purchase,” Gomez said. “When you handle a guinea pig, you have to be gentle, which helped Cayden better understand how he needed to be gentle with his mom — and he’s still working on that part.”
Moreno and Gomez commend the Hunters for their resilience and strength while grieving and experiencing crisis.
“Emily and Cayden have accomplished so much together and individually,” Moreno said. “They make a great team.”
Emily said she and her son kept each other going after they reunited.
“Cayden is my warrior,” she said, wiping away tears. “His full name means ‘healing warrior favored by God.’
“My son deserves a healthy mother and I had never been able to give him that gift. This journey with MCH has been an empowering opportunity for me to rebuild and transform into the woman I am called to be. I am so grateful.”
Cayden is grateful for his mother, too — showing his love for her through an occasional tickle or nudge or while playing with her hair.
“I like that she cooks and cleans for us,” he said.
Emily now refers other families to MCH Family Outreach and encourages other single parents to get connected in their communities.
“I tell other families to just hold on because it’s going to be a ride and it’s worth it,” she said. “There is hope and all children are deserving of a healthy parent, even if they only have one.
“I tell other parents that I see their struggle and I know people who can help. MCH has helped me and my son immensely. MCH is tailor-made. The staff met our needs and exceeded them.”
For the MCH team, stories like Emily and Cayden’s reflect the heart of the ministry’s mission: to offer hope, healing and practical tools that empower families not only to survive challenging times, but to thrive together.
Reflecting on their journey together, Emily and the MCH Family Outreach Corpus Christi team have high hopes for the family’s future.
“I hope the Hunters continue down this path of success,” Gomez said. “I think the greatest thing about Emily is her beautiful, bright smile. You can tell by her smile how much she has grown since our first phone call two years ago. We didn’t have a magic solution to make all of the Hunter family’s struggles go away. We just worked together and Emily and Cayden were in it every day.”
“I was between the gift of desperation and the gift of perseverance when we began our journey with MCH,” Emily said. “I am proud of the way Cayden and I persevered through everything together. We rebuilt a lot and I hope we continue growing into a stronger team.”
Emily said she is hopeful for her next career move as she and her son’s lives together settle in more. Emily is a proud 2005 honors graduate of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Austin and spent several years working in the restaurant and catering industry.
“Whether I start a business or go back to my passion, I know my son and I are going to be OK,” she said. “I know we will keep going, and if we ever need some extra support, MCH is just a phone call away.”
Fantastic