Desiree Moore grew up with addicted parents. She wanted desperately to live a different life and when she met someone at 18 who seemed like he came from a white-picket-fence family she couldn’t believe her luck. 

The two got married and began having kids right away. Her husband moved from job to job, trying to advance his career but eventually ran out of luck and was forced to return from the first job he’d left. Things changed drastically with him. His attitude and outlook turned dark. He began using pornography obsessively and that’s when the violence began.

Desiree did everything she could to stand up for herself and her kids. She kicked him out. She tried to battle against the violence she experienced, but finally the violence turned to her children. In 2008 her then husband murdered her daughter.

Desiree could not function. The guilt and sadness were crushing. She felt as if she could never be whole again. Her other daughter was put into foster care. She worked 3 jobs to try to survive but was homeless. The years passed without any hope on the horizon.

Then on the encouragement of a friend, she moved to a new town and her life changed completely. Things she never thought possible became true. While her daughter’s death would never leave her, but for the first time in a long time, life felt like it might be ok.

Today Desiree has a master’s degree and has been able to escape the generational poverty that seemed insurmountable. Her grief is cyclical, but she uses her story to help others have hope even in the darkest moments.

Episode Resources

• Website | desireemoorebooks.com

Connect with Desiree

• TikTok | @meet_desiree

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