Wade was born to a teenage mother who, unable to support her child, gave up custody to his grandmother. He was raised by his grandma for over a decade… until one day, her boyfriend started getting abusive. An irresponsible addict, this man often forced Wade to stay home from school so he could take [...]

Although she’s only 18 years old, Lula’s short life has been a roller coaster. When she was 16, her mother packed her things and left Arizona… leaving her daughter alone in their family home. Lula was distraught, even attempting suicide before she was finally placed in a group home by DCS. The environment in [...]

Jenna grew up in a household where it seemed like the only priority was getting high. Her parents were avid drug users, often neglecting their children and leaving them on their own for long periods of time. Eventually, Jenna and her sisters were removed from the home by DCS and placed with their grandfather, [...]

Teri’s parents weren’t interested in having a loving relationship with their only daughter. Instead, they chose to verbally and emotionally abuse her for years. According to Teri, “My parents have always been disrespectful and rude to me, even when I tried my best. They like to call me names – like whore or slut.” [...]

Jeremy and his mother have always had a rocky relationship: never getting along and fighting constantly. After his mother threw him on the streets, he had a hard time finding somewhere to stay. His girlfriend, the only supportive person in his life, found out she was pregnant at the end of their junior year. [...]

Marco and his 8 siblings moved in with their grandfather after their mother was thrown in jail. Although he was the middle child, Marco always felt like the “big brother” and responsible for taking care of his brothers and sisters. At just 9 years old, Marco grew up way too quickly. He learned to [...]

“When I was just a baby, my father died in an airplane crash, leaving my mother to care for me and my older brother. Because my father was the primary wage earner in the family, things immediately became worse for us. Growing up, I got used to skipping meals and feeling hungry all the [...]

When her mom started dating again, Sabrina was initially pleased: she could see how happy this man made her mother, who had been depressed since her father left them. However, Sabrina realized very quickly that her mother’s new boyfriend was not a good person: he and Sabrina did not get along at all, and [...]

When Javier was in 6th grade, his mother was deported under Arizona’s controversial SB 1070 law. A few months later, after moving to Tucson to live with his father, the unexpected occurred: Javier’s father was deported, too. Although Javier was surrounded by friends and relatives, he just couldn’t seem to find stability. For several [...]