By Kelly Lawson
George and Michele Kavchak thought they were entering a quieter season of life. With their children grown, they had begun making plans to travel and downsize and imagine what retirement might hold for them.
Then, about a year ago, everything changed.
“We were at a place where we thought we were going to be traveling and doing all the fun retirement things,” Michele reflected. “And then three of our grandchildren came into our home.”
Those three children are Gwynabeth, 13; Annabelle, 10; and Andrew, 4. What began as a temporary arrangement quickly became something more permanent as the Kavchaks realized the instability their grandchildren had been living with.
“They had come to see their situation — constantly changing where they stayed — as normal,” George said. “They didn’t have stable housing and were always moving from place to place. The older children were not enrolled in school and had not received medical care. That’s when we felt it was time to step in and help.”
The transition was anything but easy. Michele describes the situation as overwhelming.
“Having three children come into your home when you’ve already raised your kids was a lot,” Michele said. “There were a lot of tears and a lot of frustration.”
Each child arrived with unique needs. Andrew, the youngest, is nonverbal and was later diagnosed with autism. Annabelle has dyslexia and Gwyn, the oldest, had spent much of her childhood caring for her younger siblings, a responsibility the Kavchaks are now helping her release.
“She was forced to grow up too fast,” George said. “We’re trying to let her be a kid now and that’s been hard for her.”
In the beginning, even everyday routines felt chaotic.
“Andrew would climb and jump on the table and throw food everywhere,” George said. “We thought it was just behavior. We didn’t realize everything else that was going on.”
Through it all, the Kavchaks leaned into support from MCH Family Outreach in Killeen. What started as a phone call through a referral from their insurance company became a steady partnership marked by trust, consistency and growth.
“From the day I first spoke to the family there was nothing but openness,” their case manager Charmoine Nelson said. “They were welcoming, open to help, open to training, and you can see the change.”
MCH helped connect the family to critical resources, including therapy services, school support and developmental assessments. They also introduced tools from Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI), helping the Kavchaks better understand and respond to their grandchildren’s needs.
Over time, small changes began to make a big difference.
A simple “stop” and “go” sign on their home’s back door now helps Andrew learn patience and boundaries. A play structure in their backyard gives him a safe space to climb and explore. Slowly, his communication has emerged.
“It was such an exciting moment the other day,” Michele said. “Someone called his name and he looked up. That was not something Andrew would have done before. For a nonverbal child to recognize and respond to his name felt like winning the lottery.”
Michele has learned to distinguish Andrew’s emotions.
“I can tell now,” she said. “Is he upset because he can’t tell me what he needs or is he upset because he is not getting his way?”
For Gwyn, growth has looked like stepping out of isolation.
“She kept to herself at first,” Nelson said. “Now she’s starting to show interest and make friends.”
Gwyn plays the saxophone, draws, and recently began inviting friends over, a milestone that once felt out of reach.
Annabelle, affectionately described by George as a “sour patch kid,” is both empathetic and strong-willed. She recently earned A/B honor roll at school, and her grades have improved significantly since she enrolled. She also received a school award for empathy, reflecting the compassion behind her spirited personality.
“She wants to be everybody’s friend,” George said. “She just … talks a lot,” he added with a smile.
The Kavchaks have provided the children with the kind of stability every child deserves.
On a recent family trip, they packed into a camper and made memories together, despite cold weather and tight quarters.
“The trip was not perfect,” George said. “But the kids had fun. Memories with the kids were made. And that’s what we want – for them to just be kids.”
During this journey, George has balanced a demanding job that often requires him to travel, while also managing health challenges and stress. Michele, who had previously stayed busy with hobbies and volunteer work, made the decision to step away from those commitments to care for the children full-time. The transition has required significant sacrifice from both of them, but throughout it all, they have remained connected.
“We didn’t know what we were getting into,” George said. “We thought we were providing a stable place for the children to live, but it’s so much more than that.”
Through it all, MCH has walked alongside them, offering not only resources, but presence.
“Sometimes people are unsure of their needs,” Nelson said. “Sometimes, they just need someone to listen. It’s been an honor to support this family.”
For Michele, that support has been invaluable.
“Just having someone to talk to, someone to check in, to remind me to listen to my grandchildren and my own needs,” she said. “That made a difference.”
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