My dad abandoned me when I was about two years old. So, he wasn't around to protect me the way I needed to be protected. I started getting sexually abused from the time I was about five years old to the time I was ten. It really messed with my sense of self worth and my sense of all that was good with the world, almost.

No matter what projects I'm taking on, I want to (do) things to help other people.

At 3, I played an innocent game of doctor, minus the stethoscope and medicine bag.

To my abusers: I forgive you.

Getting into my teen years, I was filled with so much shame and pain that I got really involved with drugs and alcohol. I was hanging out with the wrong people and getting involved in the wrong relationships and everything just sort of spun out of control.

I really want to help people. I really want to give somebody that hope that they need to keep going.

I think it's hard for any parent to see anything negative said or done against your child and, when you can't directly do something about it, it's hard.