My Story

Q: What trauma did you survive? 

A: There are so many.... But the one affecting me the most, My daughter was legally stolen from me by my father. 

 Q: How old were you? 

A: 22 

Q: How long has it been? 

A: Over twenty years 

Q: How did you react? 

A: Badly, I broke emotionally, mentally. I wanted to die. 

 Q: How did you survive? 

A: In some ways, I didn't. Part of me died when the fight was over. I fought for five years and ultimately failed. Initally the fight kept be alive. Once the fight was over, I had something in my life worth fighting for. Fighting against the parts of me that wanted to die. 

 Q: What helped you survive? 

A: By the time the fight was over, I had another daughter. She needed me and had only me. The fight caused me to lose everyone else in my life. I had only her and she had only me. I needed to try for her. 

Q: How has it changed you? 

A: For a long time it changed me in a negative way. Paranoid, schizophrenic, self esteem was in the toilet, didn't trust anyone. And in some ways, I don't think I will ever heal from this one. From the things done to me in the pursuit of my daughter by the man who was my father. 

 Q: What made you speak out? 

A: I have actually been trying to speak out the whole time but this is not a trauma that people speak about or even happens often. 

 Q: If you could tell someone going through the same thing, just one thing, what would it be? 

A: Don't let anyone decide what is best for you children. Don't give up the fight.