I grew up in a loving but struggling home. My parents were very young when they had me. Throughout my whole life I was bullied for being both white and Hispanic. I didn’t fit in anywhere, except with the druggies. From the ages of 10-14 I was sexually abused by someone I knew. During that time a family member began to sexually abuse me. This family member was verbally, emotionally, and physically abusive my whole life. I was very depressed, full of anxiety. I started self-mutilation at 15 and was suicidal. In middle school and high school, I got mixed up in alcohol, smoking cigarettes, and a homosexual lifestyle. In college I got into a verbally, emotionally, and sexually abusive relationship. I didn’t want anything to do with God until I came to Mercy.
I heard about Mercy because my mom took me out to lunch and gave me the book, Violated by Nancy Alcorn. She explained what Mercy was like and I immediately knew that it was going to be my way out. Four days later I began the application process. My intention was not only to find healing but to escape my life. When I came to Mercy, I knew I had problems. I was NOT planning to make friends or talk to the other residents. I was going to keep to myself. I never smiled, but I was never mean. I engaged when I needed to. I was here for me and I wasn’t worried about getting into relationships. I was angry. During my time at Mercy, God tore down my walls little by little. Just recently God has shown me how very important relationships are. And I can say that my closest (and quite literally only) friends came from Mercy, and there are 10 of them.
During my time at Mercy, God has given me strength. God has given me back my voice. God has given me healthy people who love and respect me. God has quite literally saved my life and my family. After I graduate, I plan on moving out of my parent’s house, buying my first car, getting a job, going into the police academy to become a detective, have my own tattoo parlor, and get married to a man and have a family. To all of the donors and supporters, I don’t have the words to express how thankful I am for Mercy. It saved my family and my life!