A Life Changed: Grey Darrah

My mother was abused as a child, and throughout her struggles, she developed a mental illness that was not diagnosed or treated until very late in life. It presented difficulties in her relationships and there was significant instability in my life. I didn’t have a consistent father figure or role model and was in desperate need of guidance. 

 

Big Oak was very new at the time, and a way was made for me to come to the Ranch, so as a teenager, I became one of the first few boys to live at Big Oak and moved into John and Tee’s home along with the other boys. I watched how John and Tee loved, disciplined and mentored all of us. They took us everywhere with them, including church, where I found my Savior and He began rebuilding my life.

 

Living at the Ranch provided me the stability and security I needed to find my purpose and put my focus on positive growth in my life. During such important developmental years, I found the father figure I needed, I realized what family means and was shown such love and respect from John and Tee.

 

As I transitioned out of the Ranch, I knew I wanted to build a solid marriage, to be a great father to my future children and to center it all on Jesus. I knew that because of what had been poured into my life at Big Oak.

 

My wife Kaysi and I will soon celebrate our 39th wedding anniversary. We have three grown children and 6 grandchildren.

 

Our oldest son Jarrett and his wife, Alana, have two biological sons and a daughter gained through foster care. Jarrett is a dentist in the Navy and attached to the Marines at Camp LeJeune and Cherry Point. He served as the Medical Triage Officer during the evacuation at the Kabul Airport in Afghanistan in September 2021 and still works to overcome what he witnessed there.  Our daughter Kendall has two wonderful sons. She completed graduate school and serves as a speech pathologist. Her husband, Daniel, works at a Christian Rehab Center and together they are very involved and active in their church and community. 

 

Jake, our youngest son, and his wife, Avery, were married in 2022 and have one son. After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy, Jake served two tours as a Surface Warfare Officer on the U.S.S. Leyte Gulf. He completed SEAL Qualification Training in October 2022 and is now on SEAL Team 8, based in Virginia Beach, VA. Jake is frequently deployed and will always need prayers for his protection.

 

Our children are saved, have thriving families, and are raising their children in Christian homes. We always strived to parent in the way God was leading and I am so thankful for the great role models I had in John and Tee. 

 

In addition, not only did my mother become whole again, healthy and regretful of the past, I found healing too, recognizing how ill she really was and choosing not to resent or blame her. 

I have the opportunity to capture family legacies through my portrait studio in Cartersville, GA, Darrah Photo, which is in its 20th year. Capturing moments for high profile clients over the years has been a highlight of my career, but even more, knowing I am offering a fun experience to preserve family history.

At 61 years old, I look back on my life and I’m so grateful for my time at Big Oak - for the legacy that extends throughout my family. I have nothing but great memories of living there and am happy to know so many kids have been given the same chance I was given so many years ago.

God Bless,
Grey Darrah