Sophia didn’t have a very good childhood. She ended up in care. As she got older she ended up in violent relationships. The last one was really bad.
“There was one time he broke my ribs. The pain was immense, but I couldn’t get out. He used to lock me in. He broke my ribs so badly with a lump hammer that he pierced my lung. I was drowning in my own blood.”
The paramedics tried to drain Sophia’s chest cavity and pulled three litres of blood from her.
After months of torture, she eventually found the courage to leave him. But with no one or nowhere to turn to, she began drinking and ended up on the streets; broken, vulnerable and alone.
“I had a house, but I just gave everything away in case he found me. It’s been a battle- from car parks to bushes, to doorways. I got liver disease. I was on my way out. Then I ended up taking spice.”
Fortunately, we found Sophia just in time. She stayed in our hostel for a year, before moving into our supported housing accommodation, where she started grow in confidence and rebuild her life.
“Now I no longer drink. I left supported housing and finally got a home. I also took part in the Julian House Build-A-Bike course which gave me confidence, gave me skills, and I built a bike! It’s a brilliant feeling that you’ve accomplished something.
I’ve got a lot to be thankful to Julian House for, it’s been rough and smooth, but I’ve got there in the end”
Thanks to you, our amazing supporters, we were there for Sophia when she needed us, but there are hundreds and thousands of people who need us right now.
You can make the difference this Christmas. Every pound brings us closer to changing and saving the lives of people like Sophia.
