At the age of 11, Princess (Pria) Ruiz’s life took an unexpected turn: Her
mother passed away. Pria and her brother were taken away from all that they
knew and sent to live with their biological father, a man they had never met
and knew nothing about.
PRIA
“At first, I was excited to meet my dad, but then I realized I would have to
leave all my family, especially my Grandma and my two half-sisters who had
helped raise me while my mom was either on the road, driving truck, or in
prison for selling and transporting drugs from Mexico,” Pria said.
But Pria didn’t have a choice. So she moved in with her father.
Photo from gettyimages.com
“Toward a
Brighter Future”
The first few weeks weren’t bad. But just a little over a month into her stay,
her father hit her. They were arguing in the car when he turned and punched
Pria in the face. That was the beginning of a downward spiral.
Maybe in an effort to dull the pain, or as a way to fit in, Pria and her brother
began using drugs with their father. They would party through the night,
abusing alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine. Pria thought she was having the
time of her life; she was being treated like an adult, she was getting high and
drunk everyday, and she road-tripped to casinos with her dad several nights a
week. But the “fun” stopped abruptly every time her father lost his temper.
That’s when she would find herself on the receiving end of his anger. Pria
recalls an incident when her father was so angry, he grabbed her by the hair
and smashed her head into the washing machine.
The abuse went on until Pria was 14 years old.
Social Services tried to get involved after an incident with Pria’s brother. He
was caught stealing and told the police, “I can’t go home. My dad will beat
the crap out of me.” But when the agency called, their father ignored it. And
when they send someone to the house, no one answered the door. “My dad
said not to answer it or he would beat us, so we never did.”
Pria’s drug use continued, and she regularly fell victim to her father’s beatings. His own drug and alcohol abuse sparked an ongoing rage in Pria, and
she found herself being physically abused more frequently.
One winter night, Pria ran to a friend’s house to find safety, but when the
friend’s parents wanted to involve the authorities, Pria ran away.
The next day, Pria was sent to Juvenile Detention. After meeting with a social
worker, she was placed in a substance abuse treatment facility, and, later, in a
foster home. Her depression made her unable to maintain her sobriety,
however; and in less than three weeks, she was using drugs again.
That started a desperate cycle of treatment, depression, and foster homes for
Pria. Between bouts of aggression, drug abuse, and running away, it looked
like her life would never turn around.
But, in June 2012, Pria moved into a Kindred Family Focus home in Crookston,
MN. This time, Pria really wanted to start fresh and stay off drugs. “Lori, my
foster mom, encouraged me and helped me do this, so I didn't feel alone for
the first time in a long time.”
“Lori loved me for who I was. She and I made a close connection, and there
were times I wanted to, and was offered drugs, but I couldn’t lose Lori and my
house and my life. Every time I had a chance to go back to my old ways, I
decided not to because I had a family now, and it meant more to me than
anything.”
Pria finally found her home with the help of Kindred Family Focus.
With the support of her family, she finished high school, and enrolled in
college to study computers or mechanics.
She has found a brighter future.