Survivor's Journey from Abuse to Advocacy

Hi. Born in 1989. I was actually

born in 2003, but now I have to hide that because I do not want to hurt

anyone anymore. Since the day I was born, I have lived with multiple illnesses.

My biological mother left me in an orphanage.

When I was seven, a couple adopted me, but it was not out of love.

They wanted to use me to gain fame. My fragile health quickly became a burden

to

them, so my adoptive mother started planning to

get rid of me.

She noticed something unusual about me.

Later I learned it was a hormone condition caused by

dwarfism, but she used it

against me and insisted that I was actually an adult.

She even worked with a doctor, fake evidence, just to support her claim.

But that was not enough for her. She began turning me into a monster.

I was just cleaning the house, but she said I was trying to poison her.

She fell on her own and blamed me, even made up stories,

saying I stood by her bed

with a knife. I was just a child back then.

I had no way to fight back.

In the end, they not only abandoned me, but also brainwashed me, making me believe

I was a bad person. Then they sent me to a psychiatric

hospital.

When I got out, I was already 13. I was too scared to trust anyone, until I

met Cynthia. She was willing to take me in,

and she did not believe those lies.

She took me for medical tests and proved that I had always been a child,

but I had

been brainwashed for so long, even I could not believe the results.

Cynthia did not give up on me. She encouraged me to take everything to

court.

But when I saw my adoptive father again, all the fear came rushing back.

I could not say a word, so I lost. Later, my adoptive parents tried to escape

responsibility. They started smearing me online,

trying to turn me into a real

monster. Until I turned 19. I was finally an adult,

and I finally found the

courage to fight back. I began giving interviews

and telling the truth on social

media, but too much time had passed. Proving everything was not easy.

In court, even though many people testified for me,

they were all dismissed one by

one.

She was a child.

Objection.

They knew she was a child.

Objection.

In that moment, I started doubting everything.

So when the lawyer asked for my birth date, I chose to lie, and I lost again.

I even started doubting Cynthia, wondering if she was just trying to use

me, too,

just like my adoptive mother did. Maybe now you're worse,

'cause you act like you believe in me, but you think this is all I am,

a project to help you feel better about yourself.

You're just like Christine.

I'm not the one you're mad at. I love you.

I don't think you wanna push me away.

I'm a grown-ass woman now. You can't tell me what I want.

Okay, then.

Cynthia left in heartbreak, but the truth is I

was just afraid of dragging her down

with me. I was close to giving up on myself,

but I forgot one thing: There are

still people in this world who believe me. Cynthia never really left my side.

The police never stopped investigating, and the people who supported me online,

they kept telling me not to give up. Maybe I still have a future.

We see you, Natalia.

You are loved.