As a child her mother beat her with anything she could find, a wooden spoon she says packed a hefty punch and pieces of plywood from her Dad’s workshop often splintered on her body.

Physical abuse left bruises and scars on her skin, and harsh words burrowed into her heart leaving her breathless with the agony of rejection; and then, sexual abuse stripped her of her innocence and made her afraid of every dark corner, in what should have been the safety of her room.

Even though loneliness made her question having life, she was able to find peace.