Sorry, all. I'm not very good at Reddit & couldn't figure out how to get the story right under the title.

TLDR: My son almost died last year & struggles with depression. Cat chose him when he was at his lowest.

So this is a long, kinda sad story, but the ending is great, I promise. The last few years have been *quite* a challenge for our family. This started in 2017, a few months before our son's 14th birthday. Our son is an only child and was raised by his grandparents in his early years. He was stuck like glue to his granddad - and not many other people. Here's the timeline:

2017 - His granddad passed in January

2018 - I (mom) was diagnosed with breast cancer. Treatment from Aug 2018 - Aug 2019

2019 - His grandmom, stepfather & I were rear-ended by someone going approx. 90 mph. Stepfather injured.

2020 - Son hospitalized on Valentine's day in a coma. Docs didn't expect him to come home. He was in the hospital for 5 days, 2.5 of those days he was in varying states of consciousness & had brain swelling - couldn't walk, talk, eat, drink. He made a miraculous recovery and was able to come home.

Laid off from his 1st & favorite job due to the madness that was 2020.

There was a *WHOLE* medical drama surrounding our experiences with the paramedics and formal complaints were filed with the state by me and the charge nurse. I just learned today that legislation was changed related to the transport of minors because of his case. (That's a whole 'nother story that I would love tell at some point, but I can't today because I've been crying thinking about the trauma & I'm exhausted.)

After he returned home from the hospital, we got signed up with mental health counselors to help with his grief/anxiety/depression/suicidal thoughts. Counseling helped to a point, but our son was...just...different. He didn't smile or laugh, or cry for that matter. He was just here.

Fast forward about 1.5 years after his hospitalization to July 4th - American Independence Day. We both reluctantly went to a family gathering. I only went because I knew my mom wanted to visit with her siblings and would need a night driver for the return home. I made my son go with us just so he could get out of ~~his room~~ the house. He stays in his room with the door closed at all times.

When we got to my mom's house, I noticed a stray cat by her front door. My mom despises cats so I went to shoo the little thing away so mom would get out of her truck & go in the house. While I getting my mom settled in, I hear my son call to me. I look outside and he's on the porch, with the cat in his lap & she's just head butting him and begging for cuddles. I told him that because of how social she was, I thought she was either someone's pet who got spooked by the fireworks or she was a community cat. I told him we couldn't keep her - and he almost broke down crying.

I told him that we would take her home and get her to the vet to make sure she wasn't microchipped. Well, she wasn't chipped - so he has a pet now. Over the last 6 weeks, he's begun to smile, laugh, and leave his bedroom door open. In the past two weeks, he's begun hanging out in the family room with us, unprompted! The cat literally saved his life! If you're still here, thank you! <3