November 14, 2025 • 24 mins
A mother sells the only home that still felt like home, walks into a shelter with her kids, and stares down a system that keeps telling her to wait. That’s where Sarah’s story turns—when waiting becomes planning, and planning becomes movement fueled by a community that refuses to look away.
We pick up right after the hostage night that changed everything. Sarah maps a route to South Dakota, hoping for work and a chance to be near her grandmother. The new start almost holds: an apartment, a small business, daycare for her son. Then the signs arrive—strange voices at the door, love notes meant for no one she knows, and a call from daycare about a man demanding pickup. Even with her ex behind bars, another person is doing his bidding. It’s coercive control by proxy, and it forces a hard reset. With help from advocates, an emergency voucher, and gas cards, she chooses another town and another chance to feel safe.
Along the way, we talk frankly about how leaving abuse is a process. We confront slow police responses during COVID, the power of a single warrant to quiet months of terror, and the unglamorous reality of food pantries, diaper drives, and the math of survival. We sit with the emotional crash that hits after the crisis, the practical buy-a-taser-and-breathe steps, and the discipline of keeping addresses off the grid. And we honor what carried Sarah forward: listeners who shared, donated, and turned empathy into action. That collective care didn’t just cheer from the sidelines—it moved her across state lines and into a safer life.
Sarah leaves us with a clear call: love yourself, fight for yourself, and trust your gut, even when starting over hurts. If you’re a survivor, an ally, or someone learning how to show up better, this story will stay with you. Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who needs it, and leave a review to help more survivors find a path to safety.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_03 (00:17):
Hey, and welcome back to Dismissed True Stories.
I'm your host, Elissa.
And last week I gave you a veryquick update, just a couple of
minutes, just to let you knowthat Sarah has officially
relocated and that she would notbe joining us for this, for that
episode.
Sorry.
And that she is safe and thatshe's okay and she's settling
(00:40):
in.
But after that episode wentlive, Sarah reached out and she
was like, I feel the way that mystory ended wasn't like it
wasn't my full story.
I didn't feel finished.
And she was right.
There was a lot that we hadn'tgotten to yet.
Life was lifing.
(01:01):
So today I went to do right byher.
I want to finish telling thelast part of her story where she
has been running and whatrunning actually looked like for
her, what happened in thosemonths after leaving Missouri
and how she eventually got tosafety again.
So in the spirit of doing rightby Sarah, let's pick up where we
(01:25):
left off.
So when we last ended, Sarah hadjust survived one of the most
terrifying nights of her life.
He had held her hostage.
He threatened her.
(01:48):
So she started looking at RVparks all over Missouri, but the
truth had hit her fast and hard.
She's like, if I stay in thisstate, we're never going to be
safe.
So she thought about where shecould go.
And that's when she was like,wait, my grandma is in South
Dakota.
(02:09):
And Sarah had shared with methat one of her lifelong dreams
was to help care for hergrandmother and to be near her
and to build a relationship thatshe never really had with her
growing up.
So even though her grandma wasin a nursing home, Sarah
decided, okay, South Dakota iswhere I'm going to go anyway,
because she wanted thatcloseness.
(02:30):
She wanted that connection.
So she packed up her kids, shehooked up the RB, and she left.
And at first, it actually lookedpromising.
She got a job immediately.
But in true, like Sarah's lifestory fashion, that start date
kept getting pushed back furtherand further, like by one week
(02:54):
and then the next week, and thenthe next week.
And then eventually her savingsand everything that she had
taken with her to South Dakotahad run out.
She was going to food pantriesand diaper drives, and she was
doing anything that she could tokeep herself and her kids
afloat.
So one day she's like, I got tocall my mom.
(03:15):
I'm desperate.
Uh, I need some advice.
And her mom tells her to sellthe RV.
And of course, Sarah's like,What?
Like, I don't want to do that.
The RV is like the onlyconsistent thing in mine and my
kids' lives.
Like, no matter how often wemove, the inside is always the
(03:38):
same.
It's like that one place thatsignaled to them that they were
home and that whatever happened,like at the end of the day, they
could come back to that and knowthat they were all together and
they were safe.
But eventually she came to theconclusion that she didn't feel
like she had another option.
(03:58):
So she sold the RV and she saidthat her kids and her, then with
nowhere else to go, entered intoa domestic violent shelter.
And while they were there, herex somehow found her again.
She said that she had himblocked on everything except his
(04:20):
telephone number.
And he started texting her overand over and over again.
And he's threatening her andhe's telling her that he knew
the city that she was in andthat he was coming.
And Sarah reported everythingagain to Kansas City, where she
used to live, trying to get awarrant issued for what he did
(04:43):
the night that he held herhostage.
And the answer that she keptgetting from police was hey,
it's COVID.
We're understaffed.
You're not special.
And we're, we will get to yourcase when we get to it.
But then he slipped up.
He mouthed off to the wrongofficer, finally got arrested
(05:07):
because a police officer inSouth Dakota finally filed a
warning or sorry, a warrant forstalking and harassment.
So then for the first time in along time for Sarah, things got
really quiet.
She didn't feel like she had tofight anymore.
Like someone finally wasfighting for her.
(05:29):
And because of that, Sarah feltsafe enough to leave the shelter
and she got her own apartmentand she started a small
business.
And she was like, I was doingreally well for myself.
She was even able to put her sonin daycare.
And it looked like her life wasfinally starting to turn around.
And then, of course, thingsshifted again.
(05:51):
One day she's in her apartmentbuilding and she heard a man
kind of like going back andforth with someone at the exit
door of her building, sayingthat he couldn't get in because
he didn't have the right keyfob.
And she heard him say, sorry,I'm I'm not from around here.
And she was, she didn't reallyrecognize the voice, but she was
(06:12):
like, Okay, that's reallyinteresting.
So she's like, Okay, I'mclocking that.
I'm noting that because aroundthis same time, she kept
noticing post-it notes, likestuck up in the building notes
that said, like, I love you,let's work this out.
And she assumed, I think justlike anyone would, that it was
for a neighbor that was goingthrough a breakup.
(06:34):
And then she said there was aday that came where her son's
daycare called.
And they were like, Hey, can youcome in?
Um, there was a man that showedup here demanding to pick up
(06:56):
your son.
And the daycare had said, Well,they actually like made us so
uncomfortable that we lockedourselves in a back room and
waited for police to arrive.
And of course, like when thepolice got to the building, that
that man wasn't there.
And when they pulled thesecurity footage and showed her,
(07:16):
she didn't recognize that man,like not at all.
And that's when she realized herex, who was still sitting in
jail, had someone on the outsideworking for him, keeping tabs on
Sarah, keeping tabs on theirson.
And she knew she wasn't safeanymore and she wasn't going to
get safe.
(07:37):
So she called the domesticviolence shelter that had helped
her before, and she told themeverything that had happened.
And they were like, you need toleave town now.
So they did the work, they gother an emergency section eight
voucher, they filled her tankwith gas cards, and she picked a
place on the map at random.
(07:58):
And she left with her and herkids again.
And that brings us to modern daywhen we first started this
podcast.
And as she's been fighting tofind her kids and herself safety
yet again, because like we'vesaid many times during this
(08:20):
season, her ex is getting out ofprison next week.
So now Sarah, after last week,is rebuilding again.
But this time she is rebuildingwith so many people behind her.
And I want to say this so itreally soaks in Yirnagan that
(08:47):
you helped her get here.
Your downloads, your shares,your donations.
I have goosebumps, your love,your support.
Strangers across the country.
Many of you survivors yourselvesrally behind a woman that you
have never met.
(09:07):
I have full body chills rightnow.
This is what community lookslike.
And this is what we mean when wesay that healing happens
together.
Sarah and I were able to sitdown for just a quick 15 minutes
this week to have a littlechit-chat about what telling her
(09:31):
story on dismiss true storieshas meant to her.
And I reflected back on her, thethings that I've learned because
she trusted me enough to tellher story.
So we're gonna go into that now.
Um, but just a quick thank youagain before I do.
Thank you for listening andsupporting Sarah.
(09:55):
Your support saved lives.
Like chocolate salt, chocolatesalt too on your dot.
SPEAKER_01 (10:03):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (10:04):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (10:05):
Mostly chocolate.
SPEAKER_03 (10:06):
Mostly chocolate.
I was up last night at 3 30eating peanut butter and
chocolate chips on the couch.
So my first clue that my dot wasabout to start.
Yeah.
I couldn't, you said you didn'tsleep last night because you are
sick.
SPEAKER_00 (10:22):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (10:24):
Yeah.
I was wondering after you saidthat I was like, maybe it's the
fact that you know how like youget through something.
Let me know if this is relatableor not, but like you go through
something and then you'refinally like on the other end of
it.
And then I feel like your bodyjust like collapses.
And a lot of the times that'swhen you get sick.
(10:47):
And I was like, that's probablywhy she doesn't feel well right
now.
SPEAKER_01 (10:51):
Yeah, I've been doing way too much since I got
here, but I mean, the livingroom was stacked with all my
boxes and totes.
And I'm like, I have to getorganized.
I have to figure out places formy stuff to go.
And I should have recordedmyself for content, and now I'm
kicking myself going, why didn'tyou do that?
SPEAKER_03 (11:10):
But I mean, as long as you're not giving any,
because I've thought about thisa lot too with you, like, as
long as you're not giving likeany identifiable Yeah, it would
be all of the window or right,yeah.
I know.
Um, and then I told you, becauseI've been thinking about you
nonstop.
I told you that I had a dreamabout you too.
I was like, I I like made you somuch food for your travels.
(11:34):
And I woke up thinking, if shewas close to me, I that is
something I totally would havedone.
SPEAKER_02 (11:40):
I would have been like, girl, come pick up your
sandwiches.
SPEAKER_03 (11:42):
Like yeah, for sure.
I think at the end of the day,like once you're a mom, you're a
mom to all.
SPEAKER_00 (11:50):
Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (11:50):
Like even we're the same age.
SPEAKER_00 (11:54):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (11:56):
So I just wanted to sit down and have some girl talk
with you.
Like I said, like we had talkedand you were like, wait, girl,
like my story isn't done.
Let me let me summarize thisreal quick.
And I want to put that in um atthe beginning of this episode.
Just a quick summary of all ofyour all of your relocations.
Um in the creepy ass way that hewould show you that he found you
(12:21):
with the heart on your vehicle.
That's so strange.
How do you feel right now,though, knowing that he gets out
next week?
Have you thought about it?
SPEAKER_01 (12:33):
Yeah, I'm still counting down the days and
anxious.
And I mean, I do feel kind ofsafe for the moment, but I'm
just worried.
I just don't want to be foundagain trying to figure out how
to not put anything in my nameand how do I keep my address
safe?
And I'm still probably gonna becarrying around a taser.
SPEAKER_03 (12:54):
And I was gonna ask if you had protection.
SPEAKER_01 (12:58):
Yeah.
I have a taser.
Well, I have two tasersactually, and um, I have a
knife, which the knife thingkind of scares me because he was
able to get a knife out of myhands before, so it's a little
concerning, but yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (13:12):
I do wonder what the resources are like in your area
and if you could get some sortof like immediate help or
relief.
SPEAKER_01 (13:24):
Yeah.
Um, it's something I really needto look into.
I just again I've beenoverwhelmed with kind of trying
to unpack and make space.
SPEAKER_03 (13:33):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (13:34):
It's been awesome.
SPEAKER_03 (13:35):
I'm so happy for you though.
I did, uh I'm sure you've gottena lot of messages that it's
probably overwhelming of peoplebeing like, oh my gosh, I'm so
glad that you're okay.
I I got a few that was like, Ijust listened to the update.
It was only two minutes lastweek, but I was so happy and I
was celebrating her.
SPEAKER_01 (13:54):
Oh, yeah.
I've really been slacking on mysocial media recently just
because I'm just kind ofoverwhelmed with everything.
Yeah.
I made a couple little postslike, hey, I I did make it, you
know, and we are somewhere elsenow.
And all of my big supportersthere have been, you know, oh my
(14:16):
god, I'm so glad you made it.
I'm so thankful that this workedout for you.
SPEAKER_03 (14:20):
So you do have some beautiful support on TikTok.
I mean, they're the reason thatwe met and started talking in
the first place.
SPEAKER_00 (14:29):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (14:30):
I wanted to also discuss our time together.
Um one thing that uponreflection, I am always so I
guess the word would be honoredand a bit surprised that
(14:53):
survivors trust me with theirstory because I'm a stranger.
And I've heard other survivorhorror stories where they go on
podcast and the host knowsnothing about their story.
They didn't do any due diligencebefore, literally podcasting
101.
(15:13):
They know nothing.
And I think that that is sotraumatizing to have to just
repeat your story to someone whodidn't even take the time to
like get to know you.
And I hope that I made you feelcomfortable and that you could
(15:38):
open up and that you feltsupported, and that you found a
sister and a friend in mebecause you trusting me has
helped me grow as an advocateand as a survivor and as a
person and as a mother, and mynose is getting tingly, which
(15:58):
means I'll probably like tearup.
I'm just really happy that Ibelieved in the both of us
enough to be able to put yourstory out into the world and
that we had the best ending thatwe could possibly have.
And I didn't think that I wouldrelate to your story so much,
(16:23):
but then in the ways that youshare how you were feeling in so
many different situations, itended up being extremely
relatable.
Um for me, I was like, I justwanted to be loved and seen and
understood too.
(16:43):
And I think at the end of theday, like that's that's what it
is for so many of us.
Like we're chasing, we'rechasing that, and and that's why
we stay, because because we'veseen it before and we want it to
stick around and it's notconsistent.
And then you're like, if I hadit before, why can't I have it
(17:06):
again?
You know.
So I just wanted to say thankyou because you said a lot of
things that spoke to a youngerversion of me and you healed me
without even realizing it.
And you've helped me grow.
So thank you.
SPEAKER_01 (17:26):
I appreciate that a lot.
I definitely feel all the thingsyou were saying about like just
having somebody who gets it, andI'm not just telling the story
to tell the story.
I feel like I'm finallyunderstood.
I feel like somebody actuallycares and for the right reasons,
(17:46):
not to be manipulative or youknow, to try to gain something
out of it.
I feel like it you're the wayyou do things is very genuine.
I I couldn't have picked abetter person to tell my story
to.
Honestly.
SPEAKER_02 (18:04):
Thank you.
I appreciate that.
I told you that I just startedmy dot and I'm like sure I would
have cried before this, but nowI feel like I'm just a mess.
SPEAKER_03 (18:20):
Um I think that the end of things are always sad
because now we're at the end ofyour season, but I don't think
that it's the end for you and I.
You said that you want like yourhope and dream is to become an
advocate.
(18:42):
And I cannot wait to watch thathappen for you.
Excuse me.
We said I said to you earlier inthis season, like, I would say
that you are.
Like, I'm gonna push back on youa little bit and say that you
already are because you'realready out there sharing your
story, you're already out therebeing relatable, you're already
out there.
(19:02):
I mean, just sharing your storyalone opens the door for other
victims and survivors to be ableto say, yeah, me too.
I don't know.
I I kind of want to be the firstto say, like, please, like,
bring me along on this journeywith you because I want to watch
it happen.
I mean, I don't, I don't want tokeep you too long because I know
that you don't feel well and youare trying to get, you know,
(19:27):
organized in your in your newlife.
Um, but is there anything thatyou want your listeners to know
as we round out this season?
SPEAKER_01 (19:41):
I'm just really grateful for anybody who cared
to get to this point and hearthe whole story and hold that
space for me and want to supportme.
You know, if it wasn't forsocial media, you know, I
wouldn't have met you if itwasn't for social media and the
(20:03):
podcast, you know.
I don't know if I would havebeen able to relocate on my own.
So I'm very grateful toeverybody who's played a part in
making a difference and uhhelping us figure out what's
next.
SPEAKER_03 (20:18):
I'm gonna ask you a question that I ask every
survivor who comes on DismissTrue Stories, and it's a hard
one.
If you were to give one piece ofadvice to somebody who is still
in an abusive relationship andthey're listening to your story
and they're really resonatingwith the things that you have
(20:39):
shared, what would that onepiece of advice be?
SPEAKER_01 (20:43):
Love yourself and fight for yourself.
And if you know that somethingisn't right, trust your gut.
You may go through hard thingsand starting over.
You may wonder how you're gonnamake it through, but in the end,
it's worth it.
Choosing yourself, you know, ifyou're a mom choosing yourself
(21:04):
and your children, they willlook back and be so proud of you
for having the courage to moveforward, no matter how hard it
might have been.
I know my kids feel like that,so I know they're really
grateful to have at least oneparent that you know will
(21:24):
obviously do anything it takesto make sure that they're safe,
that they're comfortable, thatthey feel seen and heard, and
advocated for, and not left tojust an adult, selfish
decisions.
They are a part of everythingand matter.
SPEAKER_03 (21:43):
Like I said in the very beginning, you have
validated and healed parts of meand just telling your story, and
I really hope that you continueto do so.
Thank you so much to everyonewho made it to the season finale
of A Mother on the Run, uh,Sarah's story.
(22:03):
Sarah, thank you so much forthis journey in allowing me and
everybody else to be a part ofit.
It's been beautiful, and I'veworried about you, I'm stressed
about you, and I've celebratedwith you, and I've gotten to
know you, and I've cried withyou.
And honestly, I would do it allagain.
SPEAKER_00 (22:24):
I appreciate you so much.
I'm so hoping that as well.
SPEAKER_03 (22:30):
To every one of you who showed up this season,
Sarah's story was definitely notan easy one to tell.
But because of you, it ended insafety.
And I will never, ever stopbeing grateful for that.
And right now I am hard at workon season four.
(22:53):
I cannot wait to share it withyou because this next story is
so incredibly personal.
It's Tala's story, the woman whoinspired Tala's closet, and it's
unlike anything that I've beenable to tell before.
So there are a lot of movingparts right now, a lot of
voices, a lot of truth, andwe're building it with the care
(23:18):
that it absolutely deserves.
And I can't tease too much justyet, but I promise you it's
coming and it's going to matter.
Until then, thank you forlistening.
Thank you for believingsurvivors, and thank you for
helping us break the silence.
One episode, one story, and onesentence at a time.
(23:43):
I'm Elissa.
This is Dismissed True Stories,and I'll talk to you soon.
Hey, and welcome back to Dismissed True Stories.
I'm your host, Elissa.
And last week I gave you a veryquick update, just a couple of
minutes, just to let you knowthat Sarah has officially
relocated and that she would notbe joining us for this, for that
episode.
Sorry.
And that she is safe and thatshe's okay and she's settling
(00:40):
in.
But after that episode wentlive, Sarah reached out and she
was like, I feel the way that mystory ended wasn't like it
wasn't my full story.
I didn't feel finished.
And she was right.
There was a lot that we hadn'tgotten to yet.
Life was lifing.
(01:01):
So today I went to do right byher.
I want to finish telling thelast part of her story where she
has been running and whatrunning actually looked like for
her, what happened in thosemonths after leaving Missouri
and how she eventually got tosafety again.
So in the spirit of doing rightby Sarah, let's pick up where we
(01:25):
left off.
So when we last ended, Sarah hadjust survived one of the most
terrifying nights of her life.
He had held her hostage.
He threatened her.
(01:48):
So she started looking at RVparks all over Missouri, but the
truth had hit her fast and hard.
She's like, if I stay in thisstate, we're never going to be
safe.
So she thought about where shecould go.
And that's when she was like,wait, my grandma is in South
Dakota.
(02:09):
And Sarah had shared with methat one of her lifelong dreams
was to help care for hergrandmother and to be near her
and to build a relationship thatshe never really had with her
growing up.
So even though her grandma wasin a nursing home, Sarah
decided, okay, South Dakota iswhere I'm going to go anyway,
because she wanted thatcloseness.
(02:30):
She wanted that connection.
So she packed up her kids, shehooked up the RB, and she left.
And at first, it actually lookedpromising.
She got a job immediately.
But in true, like Sarah's lifestory fashion, that start date
kept getting pushed back furtherand further, like by one week
(02:54):
and then the next week, and thenthe next week.
And then eventually her savingsand everything that she had
taken with her to South Dakotahad run out.
She was going to food pantriesand diaper drives, and she was
doing anything that she could tokeep herself and her kids
afloat.
So one day she's like, I got tocall my mom.
(03:15):
I'm desperate.
Uh, I need some advice.
And her mom tells her to sellthe RV.
And of course, Sarah's like,What?
Like, I don't want to do that.
The RV is like the onlyconsistent thing in mine and my
kids' lives.
Like, no matter how often wemove, the inside is always the
(03:38):
same.
It's like that one place thatsignaled to them that they were
home and that whatever happened,like at the end of the day, they
could come back to that and knowthat they were all together and
they were safe.
But eventually she came to theconclusion that she didn't feel
like she had another option.
(03:58):
So she sold the RV and she saidthat her kids and her, then with
nowhere else to go, entered intoa domestic violent shelter.
And while they were there, herex somehow found her again.
She said that she had himblocked on everything except his
(04:20):
telephone number.
And he started texting her overand over and over again.
And he's threatening her andhe's telling her that he knew
the city that she was in andthat he was coming.
And Sarah reported everythingagain to Kansas City, where she
used to live, trying to get awarrant issued for what he did
(04:43):
the night that he held herhostage.
And the answer that she keptgetting from police was hey,
it's COVID.
We're understaffed.
You're not special.
And we're, we will get to yourcase when we get to it.
But then he slipped up.
He mouthed off to the wrongofficer, finally got arrested
(05:07):
because a police officer inSouth Dakota finally filed a
warning or sorry, a warrant forstalking and harassment.
So then for the first time in along time for Sarah, things got
really quiet.
She didn't feel like she had tofight anymore.
Like someone finally wasfighting for her.
(05:29):
And because of that, Sarah feltsafe enough to leave the shelter
and she got her own apartmentand she started a small
business.
And she was like, I was doingreally well for myself.
She was even able to put her sonin daycare.
And it looked like her life wasfinally starting to turn around.
And then, of course, thingsshifted again.
(05:51):
One day she's in her apartmentbuilding and she heard a man
kind of like going back andforth with someone at the exit
door of her building, sayingthat he couldn't get in because
he didn't have the right keyfob.
And she heard him say, sorry,I'm I'm not from around here.
And she was, she didn't reallyrecognize the voice, but she was
(06:12):
like, Okay, that's reallyinteresting.
So she's like, Okay, I'mclocking that.
I'm noting that because aroundthis same time, she kept
noticing post-it notes, likestuck up in the building notes
that said, like, I love you,let's work this out.
And she assumed, I think justlike anyone would, that it was
for a neighbor that was goingthrough a breakup.
(06:34):
And then she said there was aday that came where her son's
daycare called.
And they were like, Hey, can youcome in?
Um, there was a man that showedup here demanding to pick up
(06:56):
your son.
And the daycare had said, Well,they actually like made us so
uncomfortable that we lockedourselves in a back room and
waited for police to arrive.
And of course, like when thepolice got to the building, that
that man wasn't there.
And when they pulled thesecurity footage and showed her,
(07:16):
she didn't recognize that man,like not at all.
And that's when she realized herex, who was still sitting in
jail, had someone on the outsideworking for him, keeping tabs on
Sarah, keeping tabs on theirson.
And she knew she wasn't safeanymore and she wasn't going to
get safe.
(07:37):
So she called the domesticviolence shelter that had helped
her before, and she told themeverything that had happened.
And they were like, you need toleave town now.
So they did the work, they gother an emergency section eight
voucher, they filled her tankwith gas cards, and she picked a
place on the map at random.
(07:58):
And she left with her and herkids again.
And that brings us to modern daywhen we first started this
podcast.
And as she's been fighting tofind her kids and herself safety
yet again, because like we'vesaid many times during this
(08:20):
season, her ex is getting out ofprison next week.
So now Sarah, after last week,is rebuilding again.
But this time she is rebuildingwith so many people behind her.
And I want to say this so itreally soaks in Yirnagan that
(08:47):
you helped her get here.
Your downloads, your shares,your donations.
I have goosebumps, your love,your support.
Strangers across the country.
Many of you survivors yourselvesrally behind a woman that you
have never met.
(09:07):
I have full body chills rightnow.
This is what community lookslike.
And this is what we mean when wesay that healing happens
together.
Sarah and I were able to sitdown for just a quick 15 minutes
this week to have a littlechit-chat about what telling her
(09:31):
story on dismiss true storieshas meant to her.
And I reflected back on her, thethings that I've learned because
she trusted me enough to tellher story.
So we're gonna go into that now.
Um, but just a quick thank youagain before I do.
Thank you for listening andsupporting Sarah.
(09:55):
Your support saved lives.
Like chocolate salt, chocolatesalt too on your dot.
SPEAKER_01 (10:03):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (10:04):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (10:05):
Mostly chocolate.
SPEAKER_03 (10:06):
Mostly chocolate.
I was up last night at 3 30eating peanut butter and
chocolate chips on the couch.
So my first clue that my dot wasabout to start.
Yeah.
I couldn't, you said you didn'tsleep last night because you are
sick.
SPEAKER_00 (10:22):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (10:24):
Yeah.
I was wondering after you saidthat I was like, maybe it's the
fact that you know how like youget through something.
Let me know if this is relatableor not, but like you go through
something and then you'refinally like on the other end of
it.
And then I feel like your bodyjust like collapses.
And a lot of the times that'swhen you get sick.
(10:47):
And I was like, that's probablywhy she doesn't feel well right
now.
SPEAKER_01 (10:51):
Yeah, I've been doing way too much since I got
here, but I mean, the livingroom was stacked with all my
boxes and totes.
And I'm like, I have to getorganized.
I have to figure out places formy stuff to go.
And I should have recordedmyself for content, and now I'm
kicking myself going, why didn'tyou do that?
SPEAKER_03 (11:10):
But I mean, as long as you're not giving any,
because I've thought about thisa lot too with you, like, as
long as you're not giving likeany identifiable Yeah, it would
be all of the window or right,yeah.
I know.
Um, and then I told you, becauseI've been thinking about you
nonstop.
I told you that I had a dreamabout you too.
I was like, I I like made you somuch food for your travels.
(11:34):
And I woke up thinking, if shewas close to me, I that is
something I totally would havedone.
SPEAKER_02 (11:40):
I would have been like, girl, come pick up your
sandwiches.
SPEAKER_03 (11:42):
Like yeah, for sure.
I think at the end of the day,like once you're a mom, you're a
mom to all.
SPEAKER_00 (11:50):
Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (11:50):
Like even we're the same age.
SPEAKER_00 (11:54):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (11:56):
So I just wanted to sit down and have some girl talk
with you.
Like I said, like we had talkedand you were like, wait, girl,
like my story isn't done.
Let me let me summarize thisreal quick.
And I want to put that in um atthe beginning of this episode.
Just a quick summary of all ofyour all of your relocations.
Um in the creepy ass way that hewould show you that he found you
(12:21):
with the heart on your vehicle.
That's so strange.
How do you feel right now,though, knowing that he gets out
next week?
Have you thought about it?
SPEAKER_01 (12:33):
Yeah, I'm still counting down the days and
anxious.
And I mean, I do feel kind ofsafe for the moment, but I'm
just worried.
I just don't want to be foundagain trying to figure out how
to not put anything in my nameand how do I keep my address
safe?
And I'm still probably gonna becarrying around a taser.
SPEAKER_03 (12:54):
And I was gonna ask if you had protection.
SPEAKER_01 (12:58):
Yeah.
I have a taser.
Well, I have two tasersactually, and um, I have a
knife, which the knife thingkind of scares me because he was
able to get a knife out of myhands before, so it's a little
concerning, but yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (13:12):
I do wonder what the resources are like in your area
and if you could get some sortof like immediate help or
relief.
SPEAKER_01 (13:24):
Yeah.
Um, it's something I really needto look into.
I just again I've beenoverwhelmed with kind of trying
to unpack and make space.
SPEAKER_03 (13:33):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (13:34):
It's been awesome.
SPEAKER_03 (13:35):
I'm so happy for you though.
I did, uh I'm sure you've gottena lot of messages that it's
probably overwhelming of peoplebeing like, oh my gosh, I'm so
glad that you're okay.
I I got a few that was like, Ijust listened to the update.
It was only two minutes lastweek, but I was so happy and I
was celebrating her.
SPEAKER_01 (13:54):
Oh, yeah.
I've really been slacking on mysocial media recently just
because I'm just kind ofoverwhelmed with everything.
Yeah.
I made a couple little postslike, hey, I I did make it, you
know, and we are somewhere elsenow.
And all of my big supportersthere have been, you know, oh my
(14:16):
god, I'm so glad you made it.
I'm so thankful that this workedout for you.
SPEAKER_03 (14:20):
So you do have some beautiful support on TikTok.
I mean, they're the reason thatwe met and started talking in
the first place.
SPEAKER_00 (14:29):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (14:30):
I wanted to also discuss our time together.
Um one thing that uponreflection, I am always so I
guess the word would be honoredand a bit surprised that
(14:53):
survivors trust me with theirstory because I'm a stranger.
And I've heard other survivorhorror stories where they go on
podcast and the host knowsnothing about their story.
They didn't do any due diligencebefore, literally podcasting
101.
(15:13):
They know nothing.
And I think that that is sotraumatizing to have to just
repeat your story to someone whodidn't even take the time to
like get to know you.
And I hope that I made you feelcomfortable and that you could
(15:38):
open up and that you feltsupported, and that you found a
sister and a friend in mebecause you trusting me has
helped me grow as an advocateand as a survivor and as a
person and as a mother, and mynose is getting tingly, which
(15:58):
means I'll probably like tearup.
I'm just really happy that Ibelieved in the both of us
enough to be able to put yourstory out into the world and
that we had the best ending thatwe could possibly have.
And I didn't think that I wouldrelate to your story so much,
(16:23):
but then in the ways that youshare how you were feeling in so
many different situations, itended up being extremely
relatable.
Um for me, I was like, I justwanted to be loved and seen and
understood too.
(16:43):
And I think at the end of theday, like that's that's what it
is for so many of us.
Like we're chasing, we'rechasing that, and and that's why
we stay, because because we'veseen it before and we want it to
stick around and it's notconsistent.
And then you're like, if I hadit before, why can't I have it
(17:06):
again?
You know.
So I just wanted to say thankyou because you said a lot of
things that spoke to a youngerversion of me and you healed me
without even realizing it.
And you've helped me grow.
So thank you.
SPEAKER_01 (17:26):
I appreciate that a lot.
I definitely feel all the thingsyou were saying about like just
having somebody who gets it, andI'm not just telling the story
to tell the story.
I feel like I'm finallyunderstood.
I feel like somebody actuallycares and for the right reasons,
(17:46):
not to be manipulative or youknow, to try to gain something
out of it.
I feel like it you're the wayyou do things is very genuine.
I I couldn't have picked abetter person to tell my story
to.
Honestly.
SPEAKER_02 (18:04):
Thank you.
I appreciate that.
I told you that I just startedmy dot and I'm like sure I would
have cried before this, but nowI feel like I'm just a mess.
SPEAKER_03 (18:20):
Um I think that the end of things are always sad
because now we're at the end ofyour season, but I don't think
that it's the end for you and I.
You said that you want like yourhope and dream is to become an
advocate.
(18:42):
And I cannot wait to watch thathappen for you.
Excuse me.
We said I said to you earlier inthis season, like, I would say
that you are.
Like, I'm gonna push back on youa little bit and say that you
already are because you'realready out there sharing your
story, you're already out therebeing relatable, you're already
out there.
(19:02):
I mean, just sharing your storyalone opens the door for other
victims and survivors to be ableto say, yeah, me too.
I don't know.
I I kind of want to be the firstto say, like, please, like,
bring me along on this journeywith you because I want to watch
it happen.
I mean, I don't, I don't want tokeep you too long because I know
that you don't feel well and youare trying to get, you know,
(19:27):
organized in your in your newlife.
Um, but is there anything thatyou want your listeners to know
as we round out this season?
SPEAKER_01 (19:41):
I'm just really grateful for anybody who cared
to get to this point and hearthe whole story and hold that
space for me and want to supportme.
You know, if it wasn't forsocial media, you know, I
wouldn't have met you if itwasn't for social media and the
(20:03):
podcast, you know.
I don't know if I would havebeen able to relocate on my own.
So I'm very grateful toeverybody who's played a part in
making a difference and uhhelping us figure out what's
next.
SPEAKER_03 (20:18):
I'm gonna ask you a question that I ask every
survivor who comes on DismissTrue Stories, and it's a hard
one.
If you were to give one piece ofadvice to somebody who is still
in an abusive relationship andthey're listening to your story
and they're really resonatingwith the things that you have
(20:39):
shared, what would that onepiece of advice be?
SPEAKER_01 (20:43):
Love yourself and fight for yourself.
And if you know that somethingisn't right, trust your gut.
You may go through hard thingsand starting over.
You may wonder how you're gonnamake it through, but in the end,
it's worth it.
Choosing yourself, you know, ifyou're a mom choosing yourself
(21:04):
and your children, they willlook back and be so proud of you
for having the courage to moveforward, no matter how hard it
might have been.
I know my kids feel like that,so I know they're really
grateful to have at least oneparent that you know will
(21:24):
obviously do anything it takesto make sure that they're safe,
that they're comfortable, thatthey feel seen and heard, and
advocated for, and not left tojust an adult, selfish
decisions.
They are a part of everythingand matter.
SPEAKER_03 (21:43):
Like I said in the very beginning, you have
validated and healed parts of meand just telling your story, and
I really hope that you continueto do so.
Thank you so much to everyonewho made it to the season finale
of A Mother on the Run, uh,Sarah's story.
(22:03):
Sarah, thank you so much forthis journey in allowing me and
everybody else to be a part ofit.
It's been beautiful, and I'veworried about you, I'm stressed
about you, and I've celebratedwith you, and I've gotten to
know you, and I've cried withyou.
And honestly, I would do it allagain.
SPEAKER_00 (22:24):
I appreciate you so much.
I'm so hoping that as well.
SPEAKER_03 (22:30):
To every one of you who showed up this season,
Sarah's story was definitely notan easy one to tell.
But because of you, it ended insafety.
And I will never, ever stopbeing grateful for that.
And right now I am hard at workon season four.
(22:53):
I cannot wait to share it withyou because this next story is
so incredibly personal.
It's Tala's story, the woman whoinspired Tala's closet, and it's
unlike anything that I've beenable to tell before.
So there are a lot of movingparts right now, a lot of
voices, a lot of truth, andwe're building it with the care
(23:18):
that it absolutely deserves.
And I can't tease too much justyet, but I promise you it's
coming and it's going to matter.
Until then, thank you forlistening.
Thank you for believingsurvivors, and thank you for
helping us break the silence.
One episode, one story, and onesentence at a time.
(23:43):
I'm Elissa.
This is Dismissed True Stories,and I'll talk to you soon.
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