RoseMarie lost 220 pounds, but her story is not about weight loss.
Her story is about trauma, survival, transformation, and success.
ROOTS
RoseMarie’s family tree was rooted in dysfunction — its branches twisting around drugs, alcohol, poverty, and sexual abuse as it grew.
RoseMarie cared for her mentally ill mother and younger siblings from a young age while her father spent time in prison. Her family often didn’t have electricity or running water. The first time she witnessed her father beat her mother, she was only five years old. The first time she assumed responsibilities as the head of the household, she was 11. For a week, she ensured that her 10-year-old and 5-year-old brothers were fed and got on the bus for school every day.
At 10 years old, she became a victim of molestation. “It was only a one-time thing,” RoseMarie explained, “and that’s not because my life got any safer.” She spoke up about it, but the situation was mishandled on every level, and once she recognized that her mother couldn’t protect her, she knew she would have to protect herself. “I realized that the men who are typically abusive seek out weak individuals,” she said. “I would swing bats. I was going to make noise. I knew I had to make it so that it wasn’t worth it to them to make me a victim.”
