Posts in Survivor Story
Survivor Story: Brooke

As the darkness consumed me, I began to slip away from everything I once cherished, losing myself in the haze of heroin. I fell into the arms of a man I mistakenly believed cared for me, who lured me back to drugs and introduced me to a dangerous means of income—a life of exploitation. What began as an exchange of time transformed into a nightmarish existence where my body was currency, and my dignity was stripped away.

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Survivor Story: Sophia

My first date was with a 63 year old man, and after dinner I very quickly realized this was not something you get paid for without any touching involved. And I didn’t leave untouched. As much as I hated it, I could not deny that I felt powerful with the money and the illusion of freedom. An illusion of freedom that would soon become my prison. I grew up in a healthy and stable family, but I was living a double life. I was using drugs and being reckless at age 14.

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Survivor POV: Motivation

What motivates you? What gets you up in the morning, dressed and out the door – affirmation from loved ones, tangible rewards, attaining your personal or team goals? Whatever it is, you can be sure your unique life seasons and dreams have shaped it. For a survivor of human trafficking, motivation can be tricky. When you’re fighting for your life, survival is often the only motivator.

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Survivor Story: Whitney

Thanks to The WellHouse, all of those doubts I had about God are a thing of the past. Today I believe God has always loved me, even when I didn’t love myself. Today I fully understand the price Jesus paid for my sins and knowing that he has forgiven my sins has helped me to finally forgive myself. Best of all, today I can finally see what I couldn’t see for all those years. I survived my trauma because God has been protecting me, and will always protect me. I am never alone.

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ShopWell Story: Working With Your Hands

For so long my hands felt dirty, even angry, after years of being trafficked. They were forced to participate in unmentionable acts and carried the scars, visible and invisible, of those regrets. Even after being set free, everything I did was still tainted by the memories of the past. There was no pride in what I accomplished, somehow my history still overshadowed the present.

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Survivor Story: Beth

Before coming to The WellHouse I knew about God, but I didn’t have a relationship with Him, and that’s the biggest treasure I’ve gained while being here. I dove into the Word and the program, and through them God taught me that I am a daughter of the most high King and to wear my crown. He paid the price, I’m forgiven, and the shame and guilt are cast as far as East is from the West. I’m worth it. My past doesn’t define my future. I have a purpose for my life, and it is God-ordained.

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Survivor POV: What is Human Trafficking?

My trafficking experience did not happen in seclusion or hidden away. I was right alongside my blissfully unaware peers and unknowing teachers. I would be sold at night and expected to continue with my scheduled routine the next day, putting on the childhood “normal” along with my school clothes. Perhaps if the adults in my life knew what to look for, I would have been free sooner.

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Survivor Story: Jada

I don’t know how I ended up there. How things got as bad as they did. I never came from that kind of lifestyle. I may have come from a broken home, but no one in my family ever went as far and as dark as I did. I’ve been to jail more times than I can count, I’ve overdosed on drugs. I didn’t know how to handle any of the things I was feeling, and I did the only thing I knew to do. I numbed myself, until I lost myself.

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Survivor Story: Katie

I grew up in a small town in Alabama, about 25 miles north of Birmingham. My brother and I had loving parents and we never went without. We were raised in church where our Dad served as a Deacon, and we were always surrounded by Godly friends. When I became a preteen, I remember having all of these emotions that I couldn’t seem to express without consequences. I became very rebellious against my parents, unable to focus at school, and was losing control of my life.

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Survivor Story: Sarah

“I grew up as a small town girl from rural Alabama, protected and sheltered from the dangers of the big city, or so I thought. I was raised by Godly parents who did the best they could, both coming from broken homes and trying to give me a different kind of life than they knew. As trauma has it, the inevitable happened….”

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Monique's Survivor Story

When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a reporter when I grew up. I loved roller skating with friends and playing in my neighborhood until the streetlights came on. I never dreamed of becoming a drug dealer, addict, or prostitute, but I became all three. At age 13, I began drinking and smoking marijuana after my parents divorced. It was a terrible custody battle, and the loss of my family dynamic left me heartbroken and rebellious.

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Camille's Story

“Before I came to The WellHouse, I couldn’t deal with life or my trauma. I was scared and vulnerable; I was broken, hollow, and empty. I learned how to love myself, how to be myself and be okay with me. The feeling when you come through the gates at The WellHouse, it’s amazing. You feel the love. I remember clearly the first day I got there, because I felt such peace. I had never felt anything like it. The view was beautiful. For the first time in a long time, I didn’t have to run. I didn’t have to do anything. I was safe. You can just feel the healing begin.”

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Survivor StoryHolly Bunn