From the Streets to Strength: Kyla is Turning Pain Into Purpose

What makes you a Beautiful Disaster?

I walked through hell and came out with compassion.
I carry scars, but they don’t define me.
I turned my pain into purpose.
I’m not ashamed of my past.

Why do you identify with the Beautiful Disaster brand?

Everything is just recognizable. Every article of clothing feels like it fits my life.

Tell us your Beautiful Disaster story

There was a time when life felt like I was slipping through the cracks faster than I could hold on. Addiction has a way of doing that—taking piece after piece until one day you look around and realize the things you loved most are gone. Your husband. Your son. Your home. Your car. The version of yourself you once recognized.

I found myself on the street, surviving out of a storage unit—a place meant for forgotten things, not for a human being trying to stay alive. In that darkness, I crossed paths with someone who only pulled me deeper into the shadows. A narcissist. Violent. Unpredictable.

I would wake in the middle of the night with his hands around my throat, my body remembering the terror even when my mind tried to forget.

Life kept spiraling. Bad choices mixed with worse circumstances, and eventually everything collided.

Jail.
A booking cell floor.
My body shaking, sweating, and aching as fentanyl clawed its way out of my system.

Detoxing alone on cold concrete, I was forced to face the truth: if something didn’t change, I wouldn’t survive.

But this is where my story shifts.

Somewhere in that pain, something inside me refused to die. I chose to fight. I chose recovery. I chose to rebuild—even when it felt impossible.

And look at what that choice created.

I got my son back—the bond addiction tried to steal.
I have a home again—not a storage unit, but a place filled with safety and warmth.
I have a beautiful job in recovery—turning my scars into someone else’s lifeline.
I have nearly five years clean—five years of choosing life, over and over again.

This isn’t a story about losing everything.
It’s a story about reclaiming everything that mattered—and becoming someone stronger than the person I was before my fall.

My life isn’t perfect, but it’s a life that is perfect for me.

What happened for you to turn it around?

I got caught up and was facing 13 years in prison. I did the math—my son would have been 27 years old when I got out. I was sick… sick of being sick.

Lying on the booking cell floor, I had an epiphany. Everything became clear.

After 15 years of addiction, I was done.

Name 3 things you’ve done to move closer to happiness

• I got and stayed sober.

• I help others in recovery.

• I learned to love myself and my children (I had another baby after getting clean).

What is your favorite Beautiful Disaster collection, past or present and why?

I love them all because I can deeply relate to every message. I just haven’t had the chance to buy any yet, but I’ve been a fan for years.

My favorites are Hope and Silent Strength.