Massachusetts, USA
Somewhere between the first interview, coming to the United States and not staying for one but two years, this family has become my second home.
My name is Anna and I am a 24-year-old special needs care provider from Germany. Since the beginning of September 2024, I have been working as a Care Professional with Apex Social and live with my host family an hour away from Boston, Massachusetts. Living and working with this family has not only helped me grow professionally, but also personally.
I mainly take care of Spencer, the most amazing 13-year-old I know. He is the best hostchild I could have wished for and makes my work seem like a daily adventure full of warmth and love. Spencer has autism, epilepsy and a general developmental delay. Sometimes tasks or skills can be challenging for him, but that doesn’t stop him from trying his best and living his life to the fullest. He is growing every day and I feel incredibly blessed to be able to witness his progress and to support him along the way.
After my first few days here in the United States, when everything was new, different and sometimes terrifying, my host mom took me aside for a moment one evening and told me:
“Don’t be scared! Spencer will accept and love you just as you are”. And after one and a half years living and working with him, I can truly confirm that. Once Spencer got to know you, he will not only like you, but give you a rare, unconditional love with every inch of his heart.
Spencer shows this everyday to his parents and his siblings. The triplets: Christian, Gabe and Sunny, who are 16 years old. Whether it’s Christian’s humor, Gabe’s calmness or Sunny’s determination, they each have their own way to bring joy into your life. However, these qualities are no coincidence, but rather a reflection of the characters and the values of my hostmom Kara and my hostdad Chris.
“My American mom” Kara is the personification of the word “superwoman”. She handles all the different schedules of each kid, attends every game, always speaks her mind by standing up for political matters, online and publicly, all while creating a whole new career for herself at the moment. Whenever I go the extra mile for this family, Kara has already gone twice as far for me.
My hostdad Chris seems like this typical hardworking businessman, but he has his heart at the right place. He always lets me know how well me and my work are appreciated and told me more than once that he wants me to stay forever, if it would be possible. He makes sure that I explore this country during my time here and experience as much American culture as possible.
This family has gone through a lot these past years, with the divorce of Kara and Chris and new living situations, on top of everyone’s personal problems in daily life. Nevertheless, they still created a wonderful second home for me, which I never want to miss in my life again. Small moments show me how well I am accepted as a family member.
For example, the one time when they realized that they forgot that I am from a different country, because I said I didn’t know a phrase someone was using. Beyond that, I am never left out and they include me in everything they can, whether it’s a family trip or an incredibly creative designed Stranger Things Watchparty by Kara’s sister. Furthermore, it is very important for them that I have the best experience here and explore this country as much as I can. They always support me with all my travel plans, no matter how early a flight leaves on my monthly off-weekends. Chris lovingly calls it an “Anna Trip” if he has to catch an early plane ride.
Besides travel, they support me with everything they can, whether it’s explaining the pronunciation of a word, just being happy about the deep friendships I made with other care professionals or taking my family in, when they come to visit.
One moment showed me how much they support me, trust me and want me to feel comfortable: A few days before Spencer’s birthday last July, my grandfather got hospitalized.
When we celebrated Spencer’s birthday, it looked like he wouldn’t make it through the weekend.
Kara and Chris didn’t hesitate a moment to give me the next few days off, so I could fly back home and say my goodbyes to my grandfather.
This meant more to me than I can fully express and showed me how truly caring and understanding Kara and Chris are. Their kindness and trust in me are the reason why their family is such a special place to be a care professional. They have not only given me a place to live, but a second home and two years of personal and professional growth, filled with memories that will last forever. I know they will provide this special experience for every future care professional and I am happy for everyone who has a host family like mine.
For all those reasons, I truly believe my host family deserves the title “Host Family of the Year”.
Start Your Own Apex Journey
At Apex Social, we believe in care that transforms, not just for the children we serve, but for everyone involved. If you’re inspired by the Gallagher family’s story, now is the time to start your own Apex Social journey.
Interested in becoming a host family and welcoming compassionate care into your home?
