My name is Kristy and I am a survivor of domestic violence, CSA, medical neglect and spiritual abuse. My brother is a serial groomer with 2 other known minor victims. He also has done things that added more charges since he was initially charged in August of 2025.

I had moved away from my family to have my daughter, and I had her in 2023 and at the time we had no idea what was wrong, but I wasn't recovering and I kept getting sick, becoming bedridden. My coparent couldn't take care of me and the baby at the same time so my only real option at the time was to move back in with my parents in Illinois. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia at the time, only seeing one rheumatologist who only did one round of testing.

I did aquatic therapy, I tried to work two separate jobs (a gas station clerk, and an activities assistant in an old folks home. I kept getting sick and missing too many days within the probationary periods, and in the case of the gas station they were writing me up for not doing tasks I was physically unable to do and notified them of the need for reasonable accommodation and provided a doctors note) before my parents realized that I for sure needed to go on disability.

This is when the repressed memories came back. I was made aware of the other family member my brother had forced CSA with, and found out that when the victim came forward my mother did everything in her power to discredit and silence them, and still left me, a teenager, unsupervised with my brother many many times still all throughout puberty. This stress and grooming relationship I was stuck in caused my already unsteady hormonal issues to spiral out of control, and since my parents refused to put me on birth control for YEARS, until I saw the doctor on my own as an adult, my body grew many masculine and intersex traits. This bodily stress and the specific memories of my brothers assaults were repressed, and only revealed themselves after pregnancy and when I was away from my family.

When I did start getting these repressed memories back, I went to my therapist and told her everything, and she had me talk to a Livingston County detective, and in August of 2025, not only was my brother arrested, but my disability lawyer who was working pro bono notified me that I was rejected for disability in Illinois because even though I needed a rollator walker, knee and ankle braces and occasionally a cane and couldn't drive due to my heart condition (POTS), the vocational expert who the judge asked for job recommendations said I could be a Postal Worker.

Hearing this was the final straw that broke me, and I tried to overdose on Gabapentin to kill myself. I was in the hospital for two weeks, and when I returned my mom continued to treat me worse and worse, when i was bedridden refusing to give me diapers, not bringing me any food until my dad was home from work, verbally abusing me and mocking me because I couldn't physically take care of myself.

This culminated in an outburst on Halloween, where after I had to tell the basics of what happened between my brother and I in front of the judge and the court, my mother mocked me and gossiped with her friend while I was in earshot, while saying my brother was "just a bleeding heart" and "he can't help but love people who are broken", and that he is just "misunderstood", when after he was arrested CPS found out he had a current victim, his partners nephew. I tried to explain to my mom that there are real victims who have been greatly affected by my brothers actions, and speaking in that way about him is continuing to enable him. She lost her temper, yelling at me and getting in my face, pointing her car keys right near my eye.

I stayed in the DV shelter in Peoria over my birthday, thanksgiving, christmas and new years, all while my parents sent updates to the church twisting what I was saying so that again, they appeared to be the victims in the situation.

This lead me to once again try to take my life in the DV shelter, and while I was in the hospital this time I made contact with an old family friend from our old church who could temporarily take me in, getting me back to Michigan where I could hopefully get more assistance from CMH and receive better healthcare.

(One of my major symptoms is random anaphylaxis from new stimuli, and my face often gets red and swells like this^)

We now come to the current day. I have been diagnosed with Connective Tissue DIsease (similar to Lupus), POTS, CPTSD, Major Depressive Disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and many other comorbidities. I am too disabled to be sent into a group home (plus my doctor recommended against that because of my autoimmune issue), there is no section 8 available, and until I am on disability I have no income so I cannot apply for low income housing and get an apartment that way. I have been working nonstop with the prosecutor, my CMH caseworker, my psychiatrist, my doctors, my new disability lawyers... I am still homeless after 5 months in Michigan, still couch surfing with my friends.

My coparent is unable to house me and help take care of me while also taking care of our developmentally delayed toddler, and he has been given temporary full custody until I am established in a safe home. He is an amazing dad and raising her away from my family and being as helpful and supportive as he can, but right now even with his jobs and the way the economy is now, he can only come see me every two weeks with my daughter for some playtime.

My parents (who are helping my brother with his housing and his lawyer) are saying they are unable to get anymore loans from the bank and are resistant to helping with their own funds. I am on EBT so I don't need to worry about food, and I thankfully still have medicaid to pay for my medical needs. I just need a place to stay until I get on disability. I know the economy and everything with politics is crazy right now but I really can't find any other options.

My cmh caseworker and disability lawyers both don't have options for me.

Anything helps. I just want to get on disability, change my name and move on with my life. I want to eventually go back to college and do 3D modeling and sculpting, I want to make art and be proud of myself for fighting and telling the truth even though it has caused me so much pain and suffering. I want to get medically strong enough to take care of not just myself but my daughter too. I want to be able to eventually adopt a dog to train as a service animal, so I can be in public with less fear and stress. I don't want to just survive, I want to eventually be able to thrive. I just have to keep myself alive until I'm on disability.