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I thought I was broken. I thought there was something wrong with me. -Kimberly Plante
This episode is going to make you angry and it might just make you cry. As the abused child of a young, single mother, Kimberly Plante grew up in constant fear. She lived in squalor in a home where cockroaches climbed the walls. She wore filthy clothes, had no friends, and was left alone at night to care for her little brother. She was beaten, burned on her scalp and arms with cigarette butts, and every day she was told: You are unworthy of love. In her powerful memoir, Kimberly Plante walks us through a life that at times, seems so unbelievably terrifying, you wonder how on earth she managed to survive it. But, survive is exactly what she did, often inspired by the iconic lyrics of Gloria Gaynor’s anthemic song “I Will Survive” which played on repeat in her head. Kim’s memoir WORTHY worthymemoir.com is a testimony to the strength of the human spirit. Armed with a handwritten 3-point action plan, Kim vowed to turn her adult life around not just for herself, but for her young children. Today, she is thriving as an associate director of respiratory therapy at Franciscan Children’s Hospital in Boston. During the pandemic and throughout her career, she has saved countless lives. Kim is happily married to the love of her life and has been deeply changed by a startling discovery on Ancestry.com that has transformed her life. You’ll have to read the book if you want to find out more! This episode serves as a reminder to anyone working with children: if you see something, say something because as Kim says: “Kids don’t tell. When you are being abused you think it is your fault. You are embarrassed. It is shameful. Abused children are just too terrified to talk.” www.childhelphotline.org, call or text: 800-422-4453 #childabuse