Ep. 18 - Rising from Tragedy: A Survivor's Fight for Child Safety (feat. Suzanne Timms)

Note: This episode contains highly sensitive topicsSuzanne Timms joins us on the podcast today!At 3 years old, Suzanne (then Dallas Otto) witnessed the tragedy of seeing her parents in a physical altercation ending with her father dragging her mother out of sight, never to be seen again by her or her sister. Once the police became involved in the case, Suzanne and her sister were temporarily removed, only to be placed back in her father’s care, even after being tried for attempted murder of the captain of the police department and having a very present drug addiction.Since then, she has been on a personal mission to solve the case of her missing mother as well as advocating for all children who are being put back into dangerous situations. With her father’s addiction, prior convictions, and leaving her and her sister alone in the house for days on end, she shares that she is one of the lucky ones and that it is a miracle she is here today. But she knows there are others who are not so fortunate and who, like her, are being placed back into homes with very high risk factors, even if actual physical harm has not yet come to pass. She (and we here at Fostering Change Washington) do not want it to get to that point.Suzanne now aims to be a voice for the voiceless. Thinking back to her childhood when she felt “No one is listening to me,” she has made it her aim to make sure every child is heard.Thank you, Suzanne, for sharing your story and for the work you are doing to make sure every child is heard and protected.……………………………..Our mission is to make a real change in Washington state for those most vulnerable. Through this channel, we aim to give a voice to the voiceless, share the stories of those who often go unseen, and inspire people to make a difference. We want views and comments to become action that will save lives. Want to know more about Fostering Change WA? Visit our website: https://fosteringchangewa.org/Learn more about our history, our mission, or make a donation to sponsor an episode.To follow us and the work we are doing, check out our social media channels: Instagram: @fosteringchangewa TikTok: @fosteringchangewa Facebook: Fostering Change WAWant to catch up on the story? All our 'Change The Story' episodes are available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Podcasts, and on our YouTube channel.