Survivor Story | Barbara Amaya

12-year-old Barbara Amaya was a pretty normal little girl. Growing up in Northern Virginia, she loved to read, collect stamps, and was even a member of the Barbie fan club. After suffering abuse at the hands of her family, however, she became severely depressed and decided to run away from her abusers and her home. While wandering the streets of Washington, D.C., Amaya was found by a seemingly kind-hearted couple who took her home and took care of her. They were not all they seemed, however, and soon they began to traffic her. "They used me until they no longer needed me," she says, "and then sold me to another trafficker." This new trafficker moved her to New York City, where she eventually developed a drug addiction. When the addiction became too expensive, her trafficker let her loose in the city, where she was once again alone and vulnerable. Thankfully, she was able to detox and begin her life over again, but it wasn't an easy process. To read more of Barbara Amaya's story, click here.

This story was originally shared by the Richmond Justice Initiative.