Ashley – 2014 Graduate

I was born into a very dysfunctional family. From the outside, my home appeared to be a nice, stable and loving environment, but behind closed doors it was a nightmare. I grew up around physical and verbal abuse every day. Because of everything going on at home, I lived in fear of almost everything and everyone. I always had my guard up. I also didn’t really have any friends growing up, because I was homeschooled and came in contact with very few other kids. As a result of the constant fear I lived in,I began to feel very self-conscious about my body around age eight, and ultimately ended up hating myself. By 10 I was struggling with depression, self-harm and suicidal feelings. The next few years were full of infidelity, violence, and increased fear. By age 15, I had developed an eating disorder and started drinking and doing drugs in order to cope with everything. I lost 90 pounds and my health was deteriorating very quickly. I was in counseling and tried different inpatient and outpatient programs, but nothing helped.

I found out about Mercy through a friend at church. She suggested Mercy after all other avenues of help failed to work. I applied because I was ready for serious change. When I got to Mercy, I was very quiet and shy, and because of my brokenness, I wouldn’t use my voice or talk to anyone.

Since then, God has done so much for me! In my time here at Mercy, I have obtained life, hope, joy and love through Christ! God really met me here and gave me more than I ever could’ve asked for or even imagined. He changed my life and gave me so many amazing people to help me along the rest of my journey.

After graduation, I will be working as a nanny. In the future, I hope to pursue further education and fulfill my dream of working with children in the field of psychology.

Thank you to all who support Mercy! This program is amazing and you are literally saving lives with your support! I am so thankful for people like you who made it possible for me to come to Mercy!