When Janie was a teenager, her relationship with her father was strained. Years of neglect, lies, and distrust had severed their bond… but at the time, Janie had no one else to turn to. One day, after an argument spiraled out of control, she was ultimately removed from the home by the Department of [...]

Jason grew up loving both of his parents, but he knew they were not good role models. His abusive father was in and out of prison, and his mother – addicted to heroin – struggled with keeping her children off of the streets. To make ends meet, she’d often trick them into following her [...]

Carly’s father was incarcerated and her mother was never part of her life, so she lived with her grandparents since she was an infant. Her grandfather struggled with alcoholism for many years, but eventually his addiction spiraled out of control. On repeated occasions, he tried to have sex with her. Her grandmother – who [...]

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 [...]