When my mom was five years old she, her brother and sister, and her parents left Puerto Rico and ended up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. My abuelos decided to come here to escape the poverty in Puerto Rico. Unfortunately things did not get better for my mother, yet through it all she showed strength in which she continues to model for me and my siblings today.

Only three years after the move, my mother became a victim of incest. This horrible nightmare lasted until she was 15 years old. Her mother refused to recognize what was going on under her own roof. She just turned her head and neglected her daughters hurting heart. Being only 15 years old, she did what she could to survive. She lived on the streets for three years. Sometimes she became lucky and found someone who allowed her to spend the night in their garage for a night or two. The most common place where she would stay was abandoned and burned cars.

My mother ended up in really bad situations, yet if not for her past she would not be the same woman she is today. She was continuously being taken advantage of and abused by men and when she turned 19 she found herself pregnant with my older brother. Three years later she was sexually assaulted which resulted in my sisters’ birth, and three years following my sister, she had me.

All of her pregnancies were by different men, and once she became pregnant with me, the rest of her family abandoned her. This included her mom, brother, sister and her new husband who was also her first baby daddy. They all accused her of being unfaithful. She was left homeless once again. This time she had my brother and sister with her and me on the way.

My mother had to give me up for adoption because she knew that she was incapable of caring for another child. People do not understand how she could keep two of her children and give up the third, but I fully understand the life changing decision that she had to make. I thank her for keeping my best interest in mind and being so open with me about her past. Whenever I am going through a rough time with anything I think back on all she went through during her childhood. Especially if I am having difficulties in my adopted home, I remind myself of all the sacrifices she made in order to give me a better life.