“God told me that my life was not just going to be a tragedy, it was going to be a testimony.” As Brandy Hamilton shares her story and helps other women every day, she has transformed tragedy into her testimony.

Brandy grew up in Portland, Oregon with an alcoholic mother and step-father. There was domestic violence in their home, so she would often run away. She was sexually assaulted four times as a child. With the start she had, it is no surprise that Brandy’s life collapsed from there.

Brandy tried her first drug at the age of 8 when her babysitter gave her marijuana. She used smoking as a coping mechanism. At 12 years old, she was approached by a pimp, who told her that he would help, and she would have somewhere to go. This incident began a 2-year period of prostitution, some of which took place in Seattle during the time of the Green River Killer. “God had a different plan,” said Brandy.