Colorado boy uses former abuse to spark movement

Bryson Kangas and his mother Lindsey went through the unthinkable, stuck in a home with an abusive father and husband. But they’ve turned the experience into something that can help children all across Colorado.

“My dad would mentally and physically abuse me, by cussing, punching me and all that,” said Bryson.

At the time, Lindsey was also being abused by her husband, but had no idea that her son was enduring it too.

“As a mom I just couldn’t stop it, or fix it then,” Lindsey told us. “I didn’t know the extent.”

Lindsey divorced her husband and moved to Colorado with her three young children.

“Just the thought of your dad abusing you was horrible, so I would mainly go to my mom for help and she would take care of it. But then my mom would tell my bio-dad and he would take it out on me,” said Bryson.

It was then that Lindsey started to notice change in her son. He became aggressive.

“Bryson was in kindergarten the first time I had to call the police on him. I had two small babies in the house other than him and he was getting so aggressive and we didn’t know why,” Lindsey said.

As the pattern continued, a friend recommended a solution.

“Finally someone said, why haven’t you tried Children’s hospital?” Lindsey said.

Once they found the program at Children’s, Bryson began to open up.

“It was kind of like a one-two punch. And then from that day forward he felt secure enough because of this mental health institute that he could tell his story. So he was telling all the abuse the mental the physical that he had gone through throughout the years,” said Lindsey.

With a new father figure and the utmost support, Bryson and his family partnered with Children’s hospital to create “Bryson’s Chase”.

“My husband was able to adopt him a year ago in September and the very next day we incorporated Bryson’s Chase,” said Lindsey.

It’s a program that gives other victims of abuse the chance to get the help they need. And Bryson is always there to listen along the way.

“They always come to me if they’re struggling with that stuff,” he said.

Bryson taking a better tomorrow and passing it along to his peers.

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KRDO Only 2019