Page 60 - Spring 2021

Nathaniel Barker loves to dress up and play with his adoptive parents, Holly and Dustan Barker.
Nathaniel’s imagination has also grown.
“He has a really creative way of seeing the world,” Holly said. Nathaniel enjoys playing outside and spending time with the
family’s four animals, cat Barbra Streisand and rescue dogs Lana Del Ray, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Ozzy Osbourne.
Dustan has also been amazed at how Nathaniel’s sense of empathy has developed.
“One of his classmates lost his father, and Nathaniel went to him and comforted him because Nathaniel, having lost his father, knew how hard that could be,” Dustan said.
December marked their four-year family anniversary of when Nathaniel came to live with them.
“In years past, we’ve gotten gifts for each other,” Holly said. “The first gift we all got was necklaces with keys on them, and
they had different words...Dustin’s [key] was strength. Mine was hope, and Nathaniel’s was courage.”
The family’s involvement with ARC-GA has a more personal touch now, too. Holly and Dustan are godparents to Brandy Anderson’s adopted daughter, Reign.
Like any personal journey, Dustan and Holly continue to have open and honest conversations with Nathaniel about addiction, mental health and recovery.
“We were very careful to tell him anything he wanted to know the truth about,” Holly said. “He had so many people that were dishonest and untrustworthy throughout his life that we felt that telling the truth was important.”
One of the big things they have discussed is how mental health and trauma are the big roots of addiction.
It’s the hardest thing we’ve ever done,
but it’s probably the most important thing we’ve ever done – Holly Barker
PAGE 58 | OCONEE THE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2021
Courtesy Kelley Channell Studio