Born To Be The Scapegoat in Bloomington, MN

Tootsie was your average young child growing up in the 90's. Going to school, summer camps and surrounded with friends. What wasn't considered "average" was her home behind closed doors. Born with a tremendous need to give love and receive it back, some things didn't pan out the way she had hoped. Homelessness, Food Insecurity and Poverty were the catalyst to the family's demise. With Tootsie's older sister, Leigh, hating her existence, there seemed to be little hope for what the future held. But Tootsie wouldn't give up. Accepting whatever came her way in hopes to rectify a broken family, she learned to keep secrets. Trying to normalize a life that was far from normal. Forming friendships and relationships on the way that taught her who to trust and who to run from. Living in denial did nothing other than ignore the elephant in the room, abuse. Tootsie lived her life watching her family be smeared in the news with hopes that one day, the missing details would be heard and understood. Putting to rest the rumors and finally giving peace a previously broken family