“We Must Do That Which We Think We Cannot.”

@taylorswift Every time you release a new album marks another milestone of life for me. It means I am still alive. My body is giving up. I have been through nothing but torture with every surgery and procedure and hospital stay. When child life would come sing to me during this last hospital stay that lasted 6 weeks, I would always ask them to sing “soon you’ll get better.” I was alone for most of that stay because I was on neutropenia precautions but every day I looked forward to child life singing me to sleep with one of your songs.

Hi you guys. I know it has been a long time since I have been on here. I have a lot of dm’s but there is no way I can get to every single one of them so I just want to do an update. Please know I am so thankful for every single person on here who has messaged or commented. Sometimes I think you guys are all I really have. This has been my platform to use my voice for so many years now.

-first of all I tagged @taylorswift because for the past 13 years she has unknowingly gotten me through the hardest times. There is zero chance she will ever see this but if she does, I want her to know she has helped me stay alive for the past 13 years. This life is so hard.

-my mom is still abusive. My therapist reported bruises on my neck from being choked. DCFS waited almost one week to come out and “look.” Then they said there were no bruises. I said that is because it had been almost a full week. The social worker said “if your mom choked you with enough force, you would still have bruises today.” She asked “why would you want to tell on your mom and lose all this nice stuff you have here (my apartment, my dog, my iPad that I use to communicate). I said because this is how my mom keeps me in this cycle. Then she said well if you’re saying your mom hurt you I have to ask her if she did it. Then I told her no that always makes my life get worse. So she told me then I would have to tell her I lied about the bruises or else she would talk to my mom. So I did. I told her nothing happened and then I said “but I really wish I could tell you the truth.”

-about 7 days later my mom blacked my eye and pushed me into the wall. I went to CB’s (the judge) house right after because she told me come straight there. She took pictures of my eye then. That was a Sunday. The next day I went to DCFS and the secretary took pictures of my eye with her phone. She told me to ask for another meeting with the social worker and ask if she can be there. So I did. The social worker waited one week to call me back and said no, no one else would be there for a meeting and she already closed my case. She said “you don’t have a mark on you” then I said yes I do come right now and you can see it. CB (judge) also took pictures. She said “No Grace I’m not wasting my time. And do you want to have to give up your dog and your apartment and live at a shelter which by the way has long waiting lists just because you’re mad at your mom?” So I hung up on her.

-Candy bar is really mad but she said we can try to get help for me in other ways without going through the state. Right now my biggest thing is money and having enough money to make it until January when I will be moving to a subsidized apartment. And my mom will have no access to me. I am on a waiting list for it.

-I feel so sad. Everything has been so bad. Nothing has changed except my mom is really really hurting me again.

-I need help getting completely free/away from her. If any of you know some ways to do that please tell me because I am scared and I am exhausted and the state is obviously never going to do anything. My mom has too much influence because she knows them.

-I am still really really sick and on disability so my money is a fixed income. I do not really have the option to go out and get a job. I have no savings. I have nothing.

This hurt. My therapist was asked to write out why I need a legal guardian. It was so hard to read these and even harder to read the therapy note.

I have my new wheels thanks to my health insurance. And all I want to do is FINALLY see you in concert even if I have to drive this thing across the country to do it. They told me I would not live and I lived. They took out some internal organs in the process. I have to thank multiple donors for donating blood that saved my life more times than I can count. I finally got safe from my mom, no thanks to DCFS. I moved by myself to a new city. I have a pulmonary embolism but I am still breathing even through all of the infusions and scans and treatments and surgeries and IV nutrition. I am not thriving yet but I am alive. There are days that I do not want to wake up but I did not come this far to only come this far. The ONLY thing on my bucket list is a Taylor Swift concert. I just want one good thing to happen to me because there has been so much bad for so long 😔.

🎶This won't go back to normal, if it ever was

Its been years of hoping, and I keep saying it because

'Cause I have to

Ooh-ah, you'll get better

Ooh-ah, soon you'll get better

Ooh-ah, you'll get better soon

Cause you have to🎶

1. My name is OFFICIALLY changed.

2. The judge is one of CB’s good friends so that made it a little easier.

3. I have a new birth certificate, drivers license, etc.

4. I have a pulmonary embolism but I am okay. I have to take blood thinning shots twice a day for the rest of my life but at least now my blood clots will be managed. This is my first pulmonary embolism but my 4th blood clot in two years. I have been really sick lately but I am feeling a little better now.

5. It is very strange to have a new legal name. And a little uncomfortable. But at least now I am safe.

6. The judge herself took me to some kind of place in the courthouse for abuse/tr*fficking victims. They were really nice to me and they are helping me with resources. I am obviously biased toward CB as far as judges go but this judge was so, so kind. CB told me if I want to write her a “thank you” letter, she will give it to her.

Now that I have a court date, I can give an update. In 4 weeks, I have a court date for a name change. CB is helping me with it and she feels like this will be my best chance at getting completely safe from my mom and from the people who tr*fficked me.

I am so scared.

A new city. A new house. A new name.