What makes you a Beautiful Disaster?
I have weathered every storm that has engulfed my life and came out stronger than I could have imagined. I am a survivor, not a victim! I am a Beautiful Disaster!
Why do you identify with the Beautiful Disaster brand?
It is real women with real stories of resilience and the courage to fight. We all have a story to tell.
Tell us your Beautiful Disaster story:
My life could have been made into a Lifetime movie. It started when I was a child. I was molested by my uncle and grandfather from the age of 4 until age 12, when a cousin told his mom what was happening.
I grew up very angry—getting into fights and drinking excessively. I was married at age 19 to a wonderful man who blessed me with a beautiful baby girl. I never realized how much my past still affected me. After 10 years of marriage, we divorced. It was the classic “It’s not you, it’s me” scenario.
When my daughter was 4, I went to a bar with some friends and stepped out back to make a phone call to check on her. That’s when two Hispanic males knocked me out and brutally raped me. I spent five days in the hospital. When I got out, I was so overwhelmed by the support I received from family and friends that I tried to commit suicide.
Three years later, I started dating again. I began a relationship with a man I thought was going to save me. It turned out to be the opposite. He was extremely abusive, put me in the hospital, and tried to kill me. He was sent to prison for six years. When he got out, he stalked me and ran me off the road. He is currently back in prison.
I began using drugs and drinking to numb the pain. I felt like this was my life—that I didn’t deserve anything better, that somehow I was a bad person.
Then I met my current husband.
What happened for you to turn it around?
My current husband made me feel safe and loved. He loved me for my flaws and all. He went to counseling with me, helped me through the panic attacks and the withdrawals. He stood by me through the bad dreams and all the ups and downs. He showed me what true love really was.
Name 3 things you’ve done to move closer to happiness:
My husband supported me and encouraged me to go back to school. I went back, got my bachelor’s in nursing, and I am now an advocate for domestic violence and sexual assault at our crisis center. I’m also a sexual assault nurse. This has helped me heal.
I still have a little way to go, but I am proud to say that I have finally found my happiness—and I have been clean and sober for eight years!
What is your favorite Beautiful Disaster collection, past or present, and why?
I love all the collections. However, the one that resonates with me the most is Phoenix Rising and You Don’t Know My Story. I have risen despite my story, and I will continue to rise—despite it all!