Her Mom Was 13 Years Old

Clark Fredericks sits down with Vanna — a survivor of childhood instability, severe abuse, and a terrifying knife incident — who found her way through faith, poetry, and the decision to break the cycle. | Free Like Me Podcast with Clark FredericksVanna grew up in constant chaos. Her mother had her at 13, later battled bipolar disorder and substance abuse, and made stability feel impossible. Her father was incarcerated until she was 13. By high school, Vanna was isolated, depressed, and facing suicidal thoughts with no support system. Then came the night her mother ran at her with a knife — the moment that changed everything.In this episode, Vanna opens up about CPS involvement, being parentified too young, moving out at 18, and the long road through therapy and numbness before real healing could begin. She talks about how faith, reading, and writing poetry became her lifeline — and why she's choosing stability over the cycles she was raised in.