Sammy lived with my family for a while when we were in high school. Her story is completely true. Girl if you see this I have been trying to reach you for over a decade. I had a son also calmed my life down. Would love to get in touch.

"A Life on Drugs" sells this interview short. Her life, which she talked about with such focus and clarity, has been one frightening episode after another. She is truly a survivor, in every sense of the word. I wish her happiness.

I was Sam’s roommate in California and went to New Mexico with her and her ex husband. She was constantly battling the demons in her and sometimes those demons would get control. I had to leave. Couldn’t handle it. I hope she’s conquered those demons. There’s a light in her that so desperately wants to escape to the surface. I hope she made a path for that light.

I can see how deeply Samantha struggled to keep her interview as pleasant and clean as possible. It was almost like she didn't want her trauma to infect the viewers, she wanted to protect others from the things she was forced to endure. I am glad she has a family and a peaceful place to live and raise her son. Great job Samantha!!!

I raised an adopted child. I could tell that she did not attach to us even though we got her right after birth. We sought help early on and did everything possible and she has done exceptionally well. She has oppositional disorder which you will find in kids who were bonded then taken away from their bio parents. Some kids know from birth. They don’t necessarily bond. With their adoptive parents. There has been much study about chemical bonding in utero. Even in the most loving environment a child can feel abandoned. So many of the people whose stories we hear had no chance from day one. My daughter has stayed on the straight and narrow but she prefers to be on her own She doesn’t date and her relationships are surface level only. Her dad and I are more emotional but she just doesn’t go there. We raised her with the utmost patience and loving understanding. I guess my point is that damage can be done to our fragile human existence before we ever have a chance. Society tends try to find the reason we go astray when usually it comes back to early abandonment every time. Much study needs to be done to counteract this core damage. My heart breaks for all of these folks.

I love when you interview people with enough intelligence and insight to really describe what has and is happening.

This interview had me close to tears. Child protective services is the start of a hard life. She said she was prepped for prison. She talked about her time in a torture institution. I see so many kids on the street that are being prepared for the same thing. So many kids. How do we let this go on? How do we stop it? We are the people. Are we the people who let this go on? Heaven help us all.😭

It always breaks my heart when the story starts with early childhood neglect and abuse. She seems to have a good grasp of why her life took the path it did. I think she would be a good candidate for doing psychological work with others or helping families of troubled kids. I’m so glad she has the incredible strength to remove herself from a toxic living situation and make her life better. Much respect!

Everything she's saying right now about Provo Canyon school is absolutely accurate. I walked in (walked in being a loose term because I was actually brought in in handcuffs even though I had committed no crimes) at the age of 16 and had my head shaved and wasn't given fresh clothes for over 2 months while I sat in orientation. We are straight up survivors of that school and the system keeps us from getting justice.

My goodness, she is so well-spoken and intelligent. She could make the best trauma therapist - she knows the inner terrain and has the natural skills to be the best.

The amount of trauma this woman went through from childhood into adulthood is horrific. She’s very well spoken and open about her life, I feel she’s being very courageous opening up. Thank you for sharing your story and hopefully stopping younger teens/kids from growing up the same way. You seem like an amazing individual.

Continued peace and healing for this gentle Soul. May she live the rest of her years surrounded by people who bring positivity and love to her life.

"Treat our children right!" This lady may have hit the nail on the head with her whole story xxx

I enjoyed listening to her. She’s intelligent, articulate and composed. I like that she takes full responsibility for her actions and doesn’t play the victim card. She’s fair to her adopted family too and recognise their efforts which says a lot about her as a person. I pray she keeps getting better

Thank you for putting content like this up on your channel. I appreciate the voices you provide for people in this society that others try to ignore, forget, blame, denounce, reject, deny, hate or lack any sympathy or empathy towards anyone that doesn't "fit" the ideal member of society. They all have trauma upon trauma in their lives from early childhood and this takes us on a journey with so much baggage, we can't walk away from it. Sam is someone we know and met recently, and she shared about her interview and said it was refreshing to have someone willing to listen and let her tell her story. Much appreciated.

Allowing her to tell her story, to self reflect is a therapy all its own.

Please keep us posted on this incredible woman’s journey. Her life experiences are tragic and yet she still is here. Her strength is amazing. Prayers that she is able to find the counseling she needs to live a happy life.

She is such an interesting and thoughtfully spoken person. I would love to see a follow up and sending you so much visual love and support Samantha. Keep fighting for yourself and your son, you’re a strong woman

The … calm in which she recounts all these stories… how clearly and articulate she expresses herself is crazy. She’s so composed it’s wild. Hope she’s doin ok

This has absolutely been one of my favorite interviews here. A lot to digest and think about from her words. She reminds me of a barely socialized tiger and very intelligent. Not the typical interview on this channel.

Even before sharing her story I can see in Samantha’s eyes the traumatic experience she has gone through. It seems impossible that anyone could endure such pain in there lives. Your son is a blessing in your life and I hope the happy memories you share with him softens some of the pain you are feeling. I admire your courage and strength, thank you for sharing your story.

'Sent Away' is a great podcast on the Provo Canyon School and Utah's "Teen treatment" industry. Didn't expect to find a victim of the atrocity on SWU.

You're not a monster. I can relate to so much of your traumatic experiences. I'm adopted as well. I don't have contact with my adoptive "parents". I'm so sorry no one was there to give you a hand and a hug or help when you needed it the most. You deserve so much happiness and love! This is NOT okay and it's NOT your fault! Sending so much love! 💕

I have watched dozens of these interviews and this is the only one that actually made me cry. This woman is so f smart. Perfect example of society wasting a human being that could have accomplished and done so much. It's heart breaking.

Wow....what a sad story but Samantha is still here and raising her son like a good mother. The very best to you Samantha and the best for your son!

"Everybody's got a little Monster in them." She's amazing. Hope she considers a follow-up interview in a couple of years. Always interesting, thanks!

I listen to these interviews mostly when I am working. I am often blown away by the resolute clarity and deeper understanding of who we (they) are - as so many of these people have needed to reflect so profoundly due to the abuse and addiction that inflicts them. Roadside Prophets have always shown me the way. As a father I love my child so much and these interviews inspire me to love her more and be that awesome parent so life is a joyous adventure - it is all I can to do to make sure I learn the lessons from these stories. it is fathomless dissbelief little children need this much suffering. That little girl is still suffering & I hope you find peace by the lake x

What an amazing, intelligent, thoughtful woman. She has a strong gentleness about her, even though she lived through hell. Would love to see an update on her just to hear her viewpoint and opinions. Best of luck with your life at the lake. Sending love from Mexico.

Those beginning years of life is crucial for children to be as normal and healthy as possible. I retired from working in NYC DOC and most of them men coming thru there had horrific childhoods with no support whatsoever. Most had to fend for themselves early in life. It's doesn't justify their crimes, but it explains a lot their behavior. I don't know what the solutions are bcuz broken ppl continue to have children. SMDH

I have been watching this channel for some time now. This has to be the most emotionally well put story I've heard. I command Samantha for for keeping it together while at the same time mentally reliving her past to give us viewers a picture of her past. She's a survivor of this cruel world we live in. This just goes to show that we all have issues growing up and if it isn't addressed properly we grow up with a defense on certain situations in our lives. I was molested as a very young child and at 58 yrs old today I still have issues trusting people b/c they want something from me. When innocence is rob from us emotionally/physically we are always questioning the why and work around it. I'm glad Samantha smiled at the end...still struggling but pushing thru. Stay strong 💪 🤗

Samantha is like the flower that grows out of the pavement - there something so beautiful about her. Im sorry she was dealt such a shitty hand from the day she took her first breath. I wish you well Samantha!! xoxox Chrystine

My biological mother and father both were using drugs and were in no position to bring life into this world but I survived. Thank God for grandparents. I wouldn’t be who I am or be where I am today without them. I watch so many of these interviews and it really hits home because had I stayed with my mother I know in my heart I’d have a very similar story to many of the men and women on this channel. I wish her and everyone featured here..healing and peace to process their trauma and move forward with their life the best they can❤I started opening up about some of my story on my channel. So much more to unpack and heal from but it’s a start

This is the absolute horror of our modern day reality. This woman has been through things that are an inconceivable nightmare. The average everyday person can never believe it understand alone she must feel. I hope and pray she can find peace.

Samantha I went through some of those same feelings of anger and snapping on people and I have worked on myself you have to love yourself start watching self-help videos on post traumatic stress disorder and most importantly borderline personality disorder I was traumatized as a child as well and we have a lot of similarities I just want you to get better Samantha start loving yourself that’s the key to your happiness you need to choose happy every day!

She’s beautiful and my daughter is also a Samantha. It’s sad what she has had to endure and no wonder she had that life. I pray for her to be well and find peace. 🥰

I am adopted. I guess I was out of norm; I felt love and acceptance from my parents. I was raised in a loving environment and never experienced feelings of being abandoned or being detached from my parents. This is a GREAT interview and I appreciated Samantha's honesty. Why I ended up in the environment I did versus the environment which Samantha did I do not know, Samantha you are beautiful. Thanks for sharing your life with us.

Wow.. it’s amazing Samantha has been able to survive all these traumatic experiences. I’m sure fighting to survive the trauma every day is so challenging. You should be proud of how far you’ve come Samantha!

This young lady has had a tough life. Hope she gets a lucky break and finds peace.

This girl needs to help as many kids as possible. She will heal her self that way. It's not what you take it's what you give that makes your life better. All the doors will open for her and happiness is the first door.

I’m so impressed with her eloquence. What a heartbreaking life. May her days be brighter in the time to come.

Samantha is incredibly strong. She’s so well spoken and calm as she talks about all of the horrible things that have happened to her throughout her life. Her life story would make a great book and movie. I’m glad that she has a peaceful quiet life now living in a house next to a lake.

Good Morning Mark and SWU Family 🤗 This interview is intense Samantha you're a BEAUTIFUL woman, I'm so sorry what's happened to you & glad you're getting your story out here praying you live a WONDERFUL life with your son & partner & find peace 🕊️ Thank you for letting me hear your story ! 🤗💕 GBY 🙏🏼

You’re so smart Sam! Thank you for being vulnerable to share your story. I hope you’re life continues to bloom🌸

This gal has done SO MUCH for herself despite all the struggles she's endured. Sober & "living in the quiet", with a young son. I hope she is able to be proud of herself. She's a miracle.

She’s so charismatic, I could listen to her for hours. You can tell she‘s very intelligent and has a great deal of self-reflection. There’s so much maturity and character in her words. I just love this channel, I’m just fascinated by all these life stories of both horror and trauma as well as human resilience and fortitude. I wish all the best for Samantha and her son!

Watching new SWU videos gives me something to look forward to everyday. Thank you Mark for your remarkable effort and all you do. ❤️

Wow, what a powerful woman with a powerful story. She is self-aware and able to articulate not just her own life but the condition of being human. I'm so glad she has found some peace living remotely on a lake with her family.

You have one of the calmest and best demeanours of any interviewer I’ve ever heard.

I did jail time. A very small amount for a very small crime and we were treated better in jail than we were at Provo Canyon School. I'm very lucky that my mind is strong because what we endured in that school would break a lesser person for sure. Not that people are lesser for not being able to handle it but I think you understand what I mean

Omg. I can relate so much to her experience with these "treatment facilities". I was an adult when I was sent to one. I can't even say the name without risking a lawsuit... But it begins with a mandatory 3 day hold. They convince you to give it another 2 days, then a week, then a month, and eventually when you say "I won't stay here", you're threatened with legal action and warned of places that are "way worse". I spent 3 months in one of these places after an episode with untreated depression/life circumstances collapsing suddenly. I needed help, yes, but what they gave me was torture. For starters, men and women were housed together. Not in the same rooms, but see ward. Adults and children were separated on paper, but we had about 50/50 children to adults in our ward. Kids were sent to the adult wards if they didn't "behave" with the other kids. We say a therapist once a day, who gave us 3 different medicines for alcoholism regardless of whether or not we even drank alcohol. The kids had to take this too. It made some of us crazy, and they were taken away and we didn't see them again. We wore standard issue men's sweats. They weren't washed. We had to do that in our showers, which didn't even have curtains for privacy. We were given Ivory soap for all hygiene and rubber finger bristle things for tooth brushes. Group therapy was twice a day. It was basically an AA meeting even if you've never drank before. The worst was seeing an 11 year old rape/incest victim have to introduce herself and admit her "wrongs" in order to get checked off for the day. They gave us all twice daily Vispiril/ Vistaril? I think it was called? To keep us calm whether we wanted it or not. Smoke breaks were once every 4 hours. Non smokers still had to stand outside right next to smokers. Kids as young as 11 were smoking with the adults. The staff checked us every hour every night to purposely keep us on edge and sleep deprived. The staff were, just as this woman said, very very young adults. Barely out of high school. The female staff would bust in on us during bathroom and shower times. The male staff would sexually assault the girls openly. One guy who was at least 30 would take his "favorite girls" away every single day for a small amount of time. Said it was for "administrative reasons". They always came back with a quarter pack of smokes or got " supervised cell phone time" afterward. In case you haven't picked up on it, these girls were sucking dick for extra privileges from the staff. Jesus Christ for the love of everything, don't EVER send your loved ones to these piece of shit facilities. Research them in depth, and pay special attention to whether or not people are "allowed" to legally discuss their experiences. Don't sign ANYTHING without a trusted representative present.

My God, Samantha, you are one of the most dynamic people I have ever listened to. You are a beautiful being, who has been dealt a very rough set of cards. That having been said, you are brave, loving, & extremely intelligent & have so much to offer the world. Bless you. You are very resilient & you know this, so don't give up. I suspect there is a ton of people watching this who are rooting for you. Take care. Love, Len from Canada

My sister and I were raised similarly. God bless you Samantha. I am 55 now and am only happy when I am alone and know that no one can get to me. People don't understand. My abuse began at 18mths. I left home at 15 and took my 13 yr old sister with me. Eventually, I went to college, raised my kids but still never felt safe. After all the years, it's still hard to get beyond the hard wiring instilled in us at the earliest of our memories. God bless and keep you and all of those who can relate to this woman.

I'm so happy for her that she's made it through everything and now is living happy with her son and partner

I'm adopted as well. Feeling disconnected is a common thing among us. I went onto find my birth parents which helped immensely

This girl is good. She’s learned from her past and got massive balls to go forward and actually look after her own kid and get clean. Fair play to you mrs ❤

By far my favourite interview. She’s so intelligent and has been through hell and high water. She deserves more I hope she finds peace and happiness

Listening to this to start my day, Thank you Mark.

The articulation, integrity and candid honesty of Samantha (and most of your interviewee's) never fails to impress me as their stories never fail to sadden me😔 I am so sorry for what you have been through from birth Samantha (some of which I can relate to)💔 You are a courageous, beautiful, intelligent and wise lady and I wish you and your family peace, healing and happiness. May you find the supportive healing you need to recover from your past and find peace in your present and fulfillment in your future🌈🦋💞🌻🌿🕊🌠

I have to say that Samantha's testimony is packed with so much pain as it is with growth. She was born into addiction and disfunction and grown to be an adult after undergoing the system (adoption, jail system, and prison). Her story is everything we wonder about (what it is to be a female addict). I think we all question our sense of belonging at some point (in family unit, society), I can't imagine that feeling plus drug addiction. Samantha, you have gone through so much. I wish you the best with your child and to a full sober recovery, God bless and may He grant you peace and Love like only He knows how to give.

This is one incredibly intelligent woman. Serious respect. I totally ''get'' the need to isolate. I have pretty severe CPTSD too and am a sober addict. We're the lucky 1's who are still alive. I hope she's blessed with joy in her life now, she truly deserves it.

Amazing Samantha Watching you from New Zealand I'm so sorry for your rough upbringing You deserve better !! Be happy now Be near healthy people too God bless you 🙏❤️

Thank you Sam for sharing your story. You are heard and your story is so important for people to hear and digest. I wish you all the best 💞 your good heart shines through.

I was incredibly moved by this honest and raw insight into your life Samantha. thank you for sharing

So glad you found peace in a different environment like the lake in Texas. So many young people become overwhelmed with their situations and forget that getting away from the people and place that has become your nightmare is key to healing. I too left the city years ago and found peace. To hear birds every morning and crickets at night is much better than sirens and screams for help. We all are human and have souls. I hope and pray you continue to find your path in life and you are intelligent enough to reflect and i think are strong enough to want something more than the trauma you grew up with. It will always be your past but doesn't have to define you. Keep your chin up! MT

The system is so so broken, this story is a testimonial of that. My goodness, bless your heart Samantha.

This woman has gone through alot of stuff in her life. I hope she has a great rest of her life.

Wow beautiful Samantha so composed, articulate, well spoken, controlled, the way you hold in her pain and tears and emotions, so intelligent, and emotionally sober. Thank you for telling me your life story, you are a true survivor, I bet you are an amazing mum. Thank you for opening up, blown away by you sending you big hugs and love ❤️

I hope this interview inspires enough of us to stop trashing the precious & valuable lives of our most traumatized & vulnerable sisters and brothers. Thank you Sam, for your candor.

Samantha, I understand and agree with a lot of what you're saying. A lot has left me feeling alone and unable to really connect with anyone else, so I know what it's like... I'm glad you've found a life that's working for you and created a family. I wish you and yours the best.

An amazing and articulate interview from a very brave, lucid on honest lady. Shes a survivor and a warrior. 🙏

She ended up in that terrible Provo Canyon school that Paris Hilton went to and she shared what happened to her there as well. I feel for this young woman she sure has been through a lot since day one. ❤️

You are a survivor of horrific circumstances. You’re story and respectful demeanor inspired me. May you find the peace in your mind and heart that you deserve, to thrive beyond the trauma you’ve endured. You seem like a remarkably resilient individual. Thank you for your courage to share.

Glad to hear she's still taking care of her son 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕 sending you both positive vibes✨✨✨

Wow I really feel for her. I’m rooting for her to get the help she needs. She’s definitely strong enough to do anything she sets her mind to

26 years working in the social work field. This traumatized beautiful soul gets it! She needs to do a Tedtalk!! She understands it from the inside out and is super articulate. I think her story could change system's. People in the system and working in the system would be touched by her story. Bravo!!

I was adopted too and I totally can relate. My biological mother abandoned me at the hospital, and since no one claimed me there, I was taken to an orphanage and spent the first 5 years and 6 months there. This was in Saudi Arabia. I didn't speak Arabic, only Philippino(tagalog) because the staff who took care of me and the bunch of other unwanted children were from Philippines. I'm with the same adoptive parents but my adoptive dad didn't want to much to do with me except support me financially which he did and that was great...but that wasn't what I needed. I needed guidance, a manual, discipline, and didn't get that. I struggled in school therr because I was the only one who didn't speak Arabic fluently so talk about panic attacks EVERY SINGLE DAY! I asked my parents to take me out of there but they did not, which caused further trauma from school...anyway I'm 36 years old now, and I isolate myself a lot when I'm down. Its been a hard life thus far even thought my parent are well to do. So please remember, MONEY DOESNT CHANGE OR MAKE YOUR LIFE ANY BETTER WHEN YOU ...just because you have rich parents, doesn't mean a damn thing,...Its so important to have parents to raise you right. I have a wonderful mother but she only spoke English since she is American nut I went to Arabic school so that didn't help with anxiety and panic

A shit attorney she got six years essentially four years for murdering someone. I’m over this interview

What an incredible story told in an intelligent and articulate way. The abusive institutionalization she experienced was a nightmare and didn't help her at all. I hope she finds the place in the world where she feels she truly belongs.

I came here after hearing her story on a podcast called Invisible Choir. She was interviewed and he pulls old police recordings and does a really good job of relaying her story. I was intrigued by her and I wanted to see her for myself. She's a very brave soul and I wish the best for her. She's on TikTok as well trying to be an advocate. You go, girl.

Wow what a strong woman & the fact she was able to push through and move away from the bullshit & raise her family really makes so so happy to hear . This was a crazy story & i appreciate her taking the time to share with us . she seems really fckn cool

Oof. She has such a light, even with all she’s gone through. I hope she comes to terms that we all make mistakes and none of us are perfect, she’s not a monster. I know that feeling well, it’s soul crippling. Thank you beautiful for being so vulnerable and open with sharing your story. 💋

This is a strange one. It was difficult to follow, and yes some of the pieces don't seem to fit. But she's experienced a life 1,000x more difficult than my own, and I can't walk in her shoes or begin to comprehend where she's coming from. I can't justify judging her, and only wish her continued peace and healing with the life she has left.

I started following her on social media, ended up here. Thank you for showing humanity. Life isn't always easy and sharing these stories connects us all.

What a beautiful woman. My heart breaks for all her pain and suffering and she has so much to offer to others. She is very bright and well spoken. May God bless her and her son

This poor lady seems to never been loved. So sad. I had a feeling the entire video of just wanting to hug her and tell her she is loved. Very deep interview.

The comments seem less sympathetic to this woman vs other interviews. I can see why people would be turned off with her history of violence (fight, flight or freeze, yes?), and equally can hear the trauma in her voice. No one deserves a childhood like that, especially as an infant, and her institutional stories are disturbing. I wish Samantha the best of her life journey. 💗

I am so sorry for all the pain you have been through, Praying for you!!! You are a precious soul.

She has a lot to say but tryʻg to watch her words and not hv to relive all her trauma again w/a straight face. Sheʻs not mental she jus endured a lot of heartache and try;g to still process everything tht happened to her as a bby. Godʻs always on ur side Samantha thank u fr sharing ur story

Samantha you are so smart and wise beyond your years. Your son is incredibly lucky to have you as his mother.

Amazing interview. Samantha is well spoken, intelligent and her insight into mental health/societal issues is profound. Thank you for telling your story, Samantha, and thank you Mark for putting it out there. Again, amazing interview, this woman tells a hard truth about a difficult life and the will to persevere. Just fucking awesome!

Mark, as always I love your interviews. But for this one especially, I really appreciated that you stayed silent for most of it. She had really poingnant things to say and I believe you created a space that encouraged her to keep talking to uncover all of the details of what she was getting at by just letting her talk on freely. Your videos never fail to instill such compassion within me for our brothers and sisters out there that I am both nothing like but can feel for and relate to so deeply at the same time. She seems like such a kind and good-hearted person. I want to give her a hug.

Wow. Just saw this vid.. What a lovely girl.. She's been through hell, I would be proud to have her as a.sister or a family member. I wish her every success.... James.. Bristol.. England

She is so right, it's all about the children, we all need to do better personally and systems to support those in need to support them to have a better life.

She’s smart, pretty and intelligent. I pray she heals within and puts her past behind her. She would be a great motivational speaker to junior high and high school kids. Bless her on her journey going forward. ♥️🙏🏻

She truly is so beautiful in such a deeply emotional and life engaged way. Her world, a microcosm of chaos and abuse giving way to a level of peace and self acceptance is astounding.

Fantastic interview! Thank you Samantha & SWU

This was a great interview. I had no idea it was going to go on the journey that it did.

Wow. She is a special soul. She has dignity and poise. I wish her peace and contentment.

Dear Samantha, I truly hope you can read this message one day. the a human being and a survivor not only for overcoming an addiction but surviving living on the streets and also the childhood trauma. Your answers are deep, full of self awareness and so lucid. How I wish I could hug you even if I know you struggle around people and maybe you would hate the physical contact, I am also a childhood trauma survivor and I could see how you contain your dark side , and I could also see how much love you have buried inside you, that's what you needed as a child...Love!! I truly wish you all the best !!

Wow…. What an amazing woman and story. I wish the best for Samantha and her family.