Lindsay (Eekwol) grew up in the First Nations community. She experienced an unforgiving world of drugs, alcohol, and violence within her family. As a child, she lived in fear while her parents and their friends had endless parties that often broke out in fights. As she grew up in this environment, she soon developed into an abuser of drugs and alcohol herself. She fell victim to blackouts and, on one occasion, almost died lying unconscious on the highway. This seminal moment caused her devoted sister to give up on her – unless she changed her ways. For the first time in her life, she listened, and the path of being clean and sober led to becoming a successful solo female aboriginal hip hop artist.
Countries: CA
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Depression & Eating Disorder: Sterling’s Story
At the age of 13, Sterling was a cheerleader and cross country runner. After her uncle commented that she was getting a roll around her belly, Lindsay became obsessed with her weight. She stopped eating and, when she did eat, purging was the only option. She was losing weight beyond what was normal while still competing and running until the point where she mutilated herself and ending up in an institution. Lindsay was 5’7″ and weighed 95 pounds. Her body started to shut down. She stopped menstruating and the doctors warned her that she may never be able to have children. Her miraculous recovery is truly an inspiring story to all youth. The moral of this story: “One small unkind word can have devastating effects on another person’s life.”
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Depression & Self-harm: Brittany’s Story
At the age 14, following a quarrel with a friend from school, Brittany turned to her mother for comfort. Instead of comforting her, Brittany’s mother lashed out at her, calling her selfish. From that day on, Brittany began to internalize her feelings. Her insecurities grew and she turned to drugs and alcohol. At a party with friends from school, her excessive drinking led to sexual abuse. This made things worse. She began to engage in self-harm practice, cutting her arms regularly. The more depressed she got, the worse the self-inflicted harm became until she was hospitalized for it.
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Identifying Transgender: David’s Story
As far back as David can remember, he did not identify with being a little girl. He wished he were a boy. Depression and anxiety set in and it just got worse until puberty hit and he could no longer deal with it. He told his parents that he identified with being a boy and he couldn’t go on any longer. The moment he changed his name to David and decided that he is male, life started making sense. Happiness set in like he had never experienced and, with his parents’ and sister’s support, David has finally found comfort in his life choice as transgender.
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Cyberbullying: Cristina’s Story
At the age of 13, a boy approached Cristina, asking her to be his girlfriend. She declined the boy’s offer and he became angry, threatening that she would regret it. One day Cristina came to school and everyone eyed her every move, whispering and laughing. She felt something was terribly wrong. A friend told her this boy had circulated a nude photo online, saying that it was Cristina, although the person’s face was not seen. She was mortified and ran home. She thought that her parents, the school, and even the authorities would be able to put a quick stop to it, but she was wrong. This devastation turned her into a tormented young woman who could not escape the rumors for 7 years. It destroyed her life as a teenager, broke her spirit, and ultimately broke her will to live.
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Understanding Asperger’s: Sean’s Story
From as early as he can remember, Sean had lived with extreme anxiety. As the years went by, he couldn’t connect with other students. He was bullied and could never understand why. A darkness of alienation grew within him and his parents sought help. After years of searching, finally, a doctor pinpointed Sean’s mental health issues. He had Asperger’s. Armed with this knowledge and treatment, Sean found his way back in the world and learned how to control his disorder. He now helps younger kids who struggle with this mental health disorder.
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I’m Not Addicted: Will’s Story
You can become addicted to just about anything. It becomes a serious problem when it takes you away from the things you normally do. Some people have a predisposition to addiction and Will’s story shows that anyone can fall dangerously into addiction. It started with video games addiction which was the beginning of the slippery slope that almost cost him his life. As a child, he dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player. He could never imagine that, at the age of 17, he would be living on the streets, addicted to crack cocaine and near death. His remarkable story now brings so much hope to those that struggle with addiction and he now dedicates his life to helping youth.
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Don’t Diss My Abilities: Michelle’s Story
As a child and teenager, Michelle endured a series of events that was nothing short of soul crushing. She faced sexual abuse as a child and kept it a secret for years. At the age of sixteen she acquired a brain disease that rendered her blind. Her so-called friends bullied her at school. She fell into a deep depression and turned to drugs, alcohol, and self-harm to numb her pain, but nothing seemed to help. She felt her only option was suicide. Thankfully, a miraculous turn of events saved her life and now this remarkable young woman faces all her adversity with such positive energy that it has become infectious and humbling to all that know and love her.
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Breaking Poverty: Billionaire PA’s Story
Poverty, drugs, violence, abuse, family deaths… Demitrius experienced all of it as a child and young teenager. He became a great salesman. The only problem is he sold drugs on the street, landing him in jail. What else you can you do when you live in such poverty? His grandmother planted a thought in his head, “If you could use the focused energy you have in selling drugs and channel it into something good, you will be unstoppable.” Taking her advice, he not only turned his life around but is now saving so many others from the hardships that he endured as a teenager. He is a true inspiration to so many and his goal is to reach a billion people.
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Broken Families: Lydia’s Story
Lydia’s life as a child was filled with family dysfunction, drugs, abuse, and the death of her mother. She ended up in the foster care system before the age of 10 and would endure moving between 36 different foster homes. Lydia was left with a lack of identity, belonging, and self-worth. The longing for her family and her loneliness created a cycle of destruction or “acting out.” Nothing or no one could fill the void she felt. Somehow, she found an incredible strength to turn her life around. Living out of a car, she put herself through school and became determined to have her own family, providing a loving home for her two children; something she never had.