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“My mom was homeless, and I had to go into care,” Tressa recalled, looking back on those formative years. “All my friends were older than me. I also started drinking when I was eight or nine… I could see the clouds of my breath escaping from my mouth when I woke up. If there was money for heat, it went to a small radiator in the living room. Often, there was only one meal a day to eat.”
Surrounded by adults who were themselves consumed by addiction, Tressa was left entirely unprotected, floating through a childhood devoid of boundaries, warmth, or security.
The Silent Horror at the Construction Site
When Tressa’s pregnancy became public knowledge in 2005—shortly after she finished primary school—the initial narrative spun by the press and local rumors was that of a reckless, alcohol-fueled encounter between two young neighborhood children. Terrified, isolated, and carrying an immense burden of shame, 11-year-old Tressa initially went along with the story, claiming a local boy was responsible.
The real truth was far more sinister.