The first time I remember Harley telling me about his friend White Fang, he was four years old. I thought to myself at the time that he was just a little boy with an imaginary friend. In fact I encouraged him.

I had always loved fairy tales and wanted my children to believe in magic. I told both my kids that their toys were alive, and when they weren't looking they danced, played and talked. I made fairy rings in the backyard and told them to wish on stars and let their dreams come true. I even made up a bedtime story about two naughty little elves that got up to mischief and had incredible adventures. The children delighted in this and couldn't wait to hear what Twinkle and Hinkle would get up to next. I regret now that I didn't teach them about God instead.

Harley had a special relationship with our dog Lucky. A dog he had witnessed being tortured. I was forever pulling him and the dog out from under the house. Harley would cry and tell me that this was Lucky's and his special home. He also spent hours watching a video called "White Fang". So you see it came as no surprise to me when Harley announced one night that White Fang was joining us for dinner. After that White Fang took up permanent residence in Harley's bedroom.

Harley told me that White Fang lived under his bed. Under the bed was the doorway to a secret and fascinating world. And I loved hearing bout it. Harley told me that in this world everything that he had ever wanted. There were pixis, fairies, dragons (the friendly sort) and believe it or not a computer (like the one at preschool). I had no idea that this world would become the gateway to a nightmare. One that I am learning to live with and love as a part of the wholeness of my only son.

You see Harley has Dissociative Identity Disorder as a result of witnessing and experiencing Domestic Violence. My little boy had seen and heard me being raped. He had been exposed to violent hard core pornography. Harley and his sister had received beltings for minor things such as sitting on a bike helmet and had been confined to their rooms for long periods of time.

Harley has had lots of different diagnosis Attention Deficit Disorder, Austism, Conduct disorder, and Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Harley has also had very different test scores at these times. In light of this he was finally diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Dissociative Identity Disorder.

When a child is traumatised under the age of seven the may dissociate as a means to escape the situation. These children literally go somewhere else or become someone else. Usually a child that has developed DID (formerly known as multiple personality disorder) has lived through life threatening trauma. The child is usually extremely bright and creative, as was and is the case with Harley. DID is usually diagnosed in adulthood and Harley's final diagnosis at eight years old is not common. I truly believe that finding a Psychiatrist that was able to diagnose and treat Harley at a young age has been a blessing.

Harley has described no less than five worlds that he visits. The first three were present whilst he was experiencing violence. The first world was the home under our house where Lucky and he lived. Harley has never described this world to me (he was three at the time).

The second world was under his bed. There were 64000 puppies and wolves that lived in this world. This world was like a magical garden. With fairies and Christmas trees and houses made out of chocolate. The puppies were son's of white fang, Harley's constant companion and protector. Harley was four at this time. This world became frightening for my son when some of the puppies turned into shadows. Some of the shadows were evil and some were kind.

This where I believe that Harley began to develop multiple personalities. The shadows began to pull him through a door into a world of ice and snow. He said he would wait in a black space for some time and then enter the ice world, where White Fang would be waiting on the other side. The world was not cold, as I would have expected. It was extremely hot and noisy there. Together White Fang and Harley would spend hours days and even weeks searching for a hidden treasure.

Not long after I left Harley's father, he was pulled through a new door into another world. White Fang was always there, waiting to accompany him on their treasure hunt. Harley was then six and had begun to confide in me. His behaviour at the time was violent, destructive and extremely distressing to me.

The desert world was very cold and noiseless. Harley said he spent a long time there on his first visit and he was still searching for the unknown treasure. This time however the journey was difficult. He kept losing White Fang and the shadows or sand would cover his eyes.

The fifth world was a world he visited by himself, and he says he still goes there from time to time. He visited this world after giving his life to Christ at eight years old. He described a bridge on top of a valley. Inside the valley is a tornado and a cage. In the cage is all his shadows.

On the first visit to this valley, he tried to unlock the cage, but couldn't find the key. Behind the cage was a cross that he climbed. Standing on top of the cross was Jesus. He said that Jesus was holding the key to the cage in his hand. Jesus told Harley that the treasure he had been searching for was now living within his heart. The treasure was God and He would never leave him. Jesus then picked Harley up and carried him back to the bridge. He told him if he ever fell back into the valley Harley only had to look for the cross and reach out for Jesus.

Since Harley told me about this visit to the fifth world I have not witnessed anything that would lead me to believe he was dissociating.

I think to explain this statement it might help if I describe each of the personalities I have witnessed. The first one is the only one I know by name and he is called the Tenth Shadow.

I met the Tenth Shadow one night when Harley woke me up with a slap in the face. I called him by name, and he replied " I am not Harley, Harley is a wimp." I then asked who he was and he said "I am the tenth Shadow" When I asked how I would know the difference he told me that Harley is younger than him, Harley has blue eyes and he has black eyes, he is taller and stronger than Harley. I have learnt to recognise this personality by the shape of his eyes, the tone of his voice and the confident stance.

Another personality is very animal like. He grunts and growls and doesn't speak. This one attacks me with bites and scratches. When he is subdued he whimpers and cowers in the corner. The final personality that I can recognise lies in a foetal position and is completely silent.

Harley is a whole and loving boy, who has a deep love for Jesus. He has a knowledge of God that extends beyond his ten years. I believe wholeheartedly that he has been healed in a miraculous way. This does not mean that he does not escape trauma through dissociation, but that God has provided him with a way out. DID is a real diagnosis and makes perfect sense when you think about it. Unfortunately, it is often misdiagnosed and misunderstood.