“I have been raped, kidnapped, molested, left for dead, beaten by gangs, and stripped of my identity. Yet here I stand.”
For Cheryl, survival is more than a personal victory, it is a defiant statement in a city she says has long been a hunting ground for predators. Her story stretches from sexual violence to identity theft, exposing a cycle of exploitation, systemic neglect, and ultimately, the struggle to reclaim dignity and purpose.
The darkest years of Cheryl’s life were spent battling forces she could barely comprehend. Gangs, traffickers, and opportunists targeted her body and her finances. Twice, her Social Security number and date of birth were stolen, triggering years of legal and financial chaos. Despite filing police reports, her cries for help fell on deaf ears. “The system dismissed me,” she recalls. “At the time, my reputation wasn’t good, and my case wasn’t taken seriously.”
The scars, both visible and invisible, remain. But Cheryl refuses to be defined by them. “I carry scars, but I also carry knowledge, wisdom, and truth,” she says.
In her lowest moments, Cheryl turned to faith. She describes surrendering to God as the turning point that reshaped her life. “I would never have achieved success without knowing God and allowing Him to guide me,” she explains. Faith became the anchor that allowed her to heal, forgive, and begin again.
Her recovery was slow, but over time she reclaimed her identity, pursued higher education, and built a life centered on service. Today, Cheryl works as a Community Liaison at a home health care agency, where she advocates for vulnerable patients and flags medical fraud. Her service extends to youth outreach with D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) and disaster relief missions with Team Rubicon.
Her mission now is to ensure that other victims know they are not alone. “Anything is possible if you believe, have faith, and trust in God,” Cheryl says. “Change starts with us. If we stand together, there is hope.”
Cheryl still keeps the police reports and documents from her assaults and stolen identity, not as tokens of trauma but as evidence of survival. “I am living proof that broken lives can be rebuilt,” she insists.
For Cheryl, the goal has never been to erase the past but to transform it. In Albuquerque, the city where she once lost everything, she has emerged as a symbol of resilience. Her voice carries beyond her own ordeal: a message that perseverance, courage, and faith can turn victims into advocates, and scars into strength.
