Against all the odds, Angel has flourished. Angel decided to step away from the agony of her rape, the trauma she suffered as a victim of child sex trafficking, prior alcohol abuse, and other unspeakable horrors. She chose not to allow her past to define her future. Triumph in the face of such adversity would seem impossible for the emotionally-scarred 17-year-old, who first arrived at Maryvale with a defiant attitude, openly throwing tantrums, immersed in kicking and screaming matches, refusing to attend school, leaving the premises without permission and initiating conflicts with her peers.

Maryvale’s staff never gave up on Angel. The team was relentless in its pursuit of providing Trauma Informed Care treatment for Angel, offering empathy and guidance, giving her much needed hope to infuse her with enough strength so she could finally break free from her pain. “We let her know that we were here for her, even when she so forcefully pushed us away,” said Group Supervisor Isau Graves. Diligent work in intensive therapy paid off. Angel persevered, eventually volunteering and counseling young children herself. A year later, Angel is independent, graduating early from high school and presently enrolled in college. She received a letter of recommendation from the Yvonne “Sunset” Agee Scholarship Award. “Before, Angel was lost, angry, misunderstood,” said Graves. “Now she is happy and determined and showed she is capable of great things because she is focused on succeeding.”

To read more about Maryvale's children, click here.