From Prison to Paradise: The Story of Redemption Justice Was Not Served, A Life Sentence Was Dakota's Story - Paperback

Roll, Vanessa: - "After my son's death, family and friends kept encouraging me to tell Dakota's story- our version, not just the media's side. This book has taken over two years to finish. Sometimes reliving the moments was just too painful and I had to put it down for months. I am far from a perfect mom, no one is, but I have come to terms with I was the perfect mom for Dakota. When we, as parents, find ourselves in these situations three common emotions rear their ugly head: shame, guilt, and anger. "If only I had..." is our common first phrase. To this day if I allow myself to go there, I can shame myself into a horrible version of a mother, like so many do daily. The reality is I love my son with every breath I breathe. I am have a master's degree in nursing, yet none of my training prepared me for what we went through. I fought drug dealers, the legal system and Dakota until the day he went to heaven. Now, I want to spend the rest of my life embracing parents who find themselves in my shoes. We don't need more judgement. We just need someone to say, "I understand and am here to listen". Prison to Paradise was the best tool I had to fulfill that desire. I pray that every reader will continue to find the hope necessary to keep fighting! May you never give up and keep believing in the impossible. - Vanessa"