She was the youngest child in an unusual family; her father, Thomas, was 65 years old at the time of her birth, while her mother, Ann, was, at 16, still a minor. The family was below the poverty line, and Christine did not receive the necessary early childhood support. Because of this, she was considered mentally challenged; she also had epilepsy and was also obese. To make matters worse, her parents also physically and sexually abused her. She required a regular dose of medication to control her epileptic seizures.