Christina Vela and Jessica Halling
Recorded
October 16, 2020
36:31 minutes
0:00 / 0:00
Id:
mby020126
Description
Christina Vela (48) interviews her friend and colleague Jessica Halling (40) about her experience as a survivor of sex trafficking and about her journey on the path towards healing.Subject Log / Time Code
J.H. begins by sharing her story from the beginning, where she grew up and her desire to go beyond the box she was experiencing.
J.H. describes a boyfriend who was there for her after an experience with a violent relationship. This man housed her, gave her a car, was there for her. She explains that one day after lunch, they were driving and she realized she didn't recognize where they were going. He pulled over, kicked her out of the car and said to her, "go make me proud." A woman was waiting for her, she helped J.H. up, dusted her off, and walked her into a casino. That was when she became a victim of sex trafficking.
"Do you remember any of the things that you told yourself to get through the night?" C.V. asks J.H.
"Can you tell me about how you got out?" C.V. asks J.H.
"No one asked me why," J.H. says of her stay at a psychiatric ward after an attempted suicide. That's when she decided that she was tired of being sick and tired. With her daughter as a reflection, she decided she would become a social worker. "I would be the change I wanted to see," she says.
"What are some moments that have reinforced that you're on the right path?" C.V. asks J.H.
"You can be beautiful and loved without a transaction," J.H. reflects on the words she would share with her younger self.
"What a beautiful reminder to live our legacy today," C.V. says of J.H.'s way of using her days to create positive change.
Participants
- Christina Vela
- Jessica Halling