A Suitcase and a Dream: My True Story from Foster to Prosper

Imagine being a 9 year old girl who thinks she has nothing to live for because her mother is a drug addict. Brittney, along with her 3 sisters, lived from pillar to post while their mother tried to keep the family together, but could not because she could not battle the addiction. Imagine experiencing sexual abuse at age 9 and no one seemed to care.

As the family experienced perpetual transition, it was often in abandoned houses with no running water and no furniture. A Suitcase and a Dream is the story of a 9 year old girl faced with the atrocities of abuse, hunger, homelessness, abandonment finally ending up in the foster care system. And like any system, there are problems - trust being a major one. Brittney Sherell tells her story transparently and intimately. She shares what it's like to be that girl, who loses hope of ever having a family that cares about her. We learn what goes on in the mind of a young girl who develops anger issues, trust issues, PTSD and attempts suicide. We learn about redemption through her story; about God's love, purpose and providence. Finally, we learn we must be accountable for each other, be our sister's keeper.

Recognizing how many blessings have come her way, Brittney also realizes that hope is the one thing you can NEVER afford to run out of.

About the Author
Sherell, Brittney: - Brittney Sherell grew up in the foster care system and because of PTSD from her childhood, she has been diagnosed with major depression, excessive anxiety, bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder. As she has gone through treatment, she realizes the importance of mental health treatment. Brittney is now a foster care warrior, and a poet. She writes to encourage others to be the best that they can be. Understanding Brittney through telling her story, as well as life in and out of the foster care system, will up-lift, inspire, and empower others to come out of from wherever they are, and be HEARD!!!! Her hope is that understanding how the foster care system works, others will never be afraid to ask for help.