Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 1081

Tonight's special guest is Brittany Ecton from Olathe, Kansas, a 26 year old single mother who's a child abuse and adoption trauma survivor and activist. Still in early recovery, this will be the first time she tells her story in public. Sexually abused by her father, a belligerent drunk, she recalls being "conditioned" by him for years. A deeply troubled child her parents took her to many therapists, she says, ".. and every time I hinted at the abuse they would switch, and they forced medication on me for years." Her mother neglected her throughout her entire life and never showed her love or any form of kindness. "She had 3 other kids and it was obvious she loved them and not me." She explains, "I started acting out my abuse with my brother as a child, and the memories are so dark that I can't bare to even look at my brother anymore, without hating my entire body and mind for those memories. Once my hormones kicked in, I became ashamed of my body and life, I had no friends and no life, and I was tormented by kids for being different." A troubled teenager, she broke all the rules, before 18 had 7-8 suicide attempts. "I got pregnant at 19 and my mother forced me into giving my baby away due to no money, help or support, and I lived in a homeless shelter for 7 months." At 21 she married her friend, Zachary, a bad boy doing everything wrong who she'd knows since 15 years old. "He was in the military and promised to save me from my life," she shared. Returning from Afghanistan 80% disabled presented Brittany with new problems, and the additional challenge of giving birth to their son. In the middle of everything else she discovered she'd been adopted! Now married 4 years and seeing a therapist, Brittany's still struggling with doing what's best for herself and her young son.