Finding His Voice: Omar’s Story of Healing and Hope
“By writing this poem, I found freedom.”
For most of his life, Omar* felt invisible. 
Born in El Salvador with a physical difference that affected one of his ears, Omar quickly became the target of relentless bullying. Omar’s childhood was marked by pain and silence. He was bright and kind, quick to smile and brush things off like they didn’t bother him. For a while, he was able to pretend everything was fine. But behind closed doors, the weight of it all caught up with him, and he would cry himself to sleep most nights. “The darkness was like my savior,” he said. “It listened to me when no one else did.”
Omar and his family moved often, to El Salvador, Belize, Mexico, and finally the United States, but the hurt followed, and Omar began to experience panic attacks. His father, unfortunately, saw his struggles and vulnerability as weakness. If Omar became emotional or cried in front of his father, he was met with ridicule and even physical punishment. He learned to suppress his feelings and physically began hiding himself. “I lived my entire high school with a hoodie on,” he said. “Even in summer. It was my shield.”
Omar began to self-harm as a way to cope with the emotional pain, but on New Year’s Eve, in 2022, alone in his room while his friends celebrated, he decided something had to change. “I said, this is the last time,” he remembered. “I need to fight this.”
That’s when a friend encouraged Omar to seek support at Youth Eastside Services. It was a turning point.
Through YES, Omar met a bilingual counselor who helped him begin unpacking years of trauma. At first, he kept everything “in boxes,” too painful to open. But with his counselor’s encouragement, he started to write poems. One by one, the boxes opened.
His first English-language poem, The Invisible Kid, was a revelation. In it, Omar described the loneliness he had felt for a long time. “When I finished writing it, I cried,” he said. “Because I remembered that kid. That was me.”
Today, Omar is studying to become a dental hygienist. He’s on the National Dean’s List, earning his certificate while pursuing his health science degree. He’s learning to embrace his emotions rather than hide them. He’s helping others feel less alone, sharing his poetry on social media. For the first time, he’s beginning to believe in his own worth.
“There’s still sadness sometimes,” he said. “But now, I cry when I need to. I listen to music. I write. And I feel better.”
* While the client story told here is true, the name, image, and identifying information have been changed to protect the client’s privacy.
HELPING YOUTH LIKE OMAR
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