They first came to Life Stories at the ages of 6 and 10 after years of sexual abuse by their stepfather. In a safe and caring environment, for the first time, they were able to tell a trained forensic interviewer about the horrors they endured. It wasn’t easy, but...

Six year old, Emma, can tell lots of stories. How her Grandma makes the best chocolate chip cookies; How her baby brother loves to draw pictures in crayon—on his bedroom wall; How her uncle has started to come into her bedroom at night. Emma told these stories and...

Homeless, traumatized, and abused. That’s how Lindsay, Cade and Maria could be described when they first entered our CASA program. Their future was bleak. Lindsay would have rages for hours. Cade was withdrawn. Maria just wanted someone to love her. Their father...

My name is Michelle and at the age of 8, although I didn’t know it at the time, a stranger named Monica soon became one of the most important and positive people in my short life. My brother, Danny, and I came from a home where there was a lot of fighting between my...

Jennifer was 15 when her mom noticed a drastic change in her behavior. She began cutting, became suicidal and was hospitalized. During her hospitalization, Jennifer disclosed that her stepfather had been sexually assaulting her for several years. Law enforcement...

Joseph was 8 years old when he went to live with his grandmother. Joseph had been removed from his mother’s home because of ongoing physical abuse and neglect due to her drug addiction. When he moved into his grandmother’s home, he had to leave behind his cat Smokey....

My name is Jessica. I am now 17 years old. In my short life I have experienced situations that most of you would not believe. My story begins when I lived with my mother and younger sister, Tiffany. My mother prostituted herself and the men she brought into our home...