My name is Vicki Disorda. I am a dog-mom, aspiring author and student of ministry. I love animals, music and dancing. Above all, I am a survivor. I have managed trauma for over forty years. As a veteran of childhood sexual abuse, writing has been my saving grace.

I embrace the will to live and to write daily. This is my freedom.

My faith in God and studying the teachings of Jesus─ as I interpret them─ has made me stronger and more courageous than I could have ever dreamed possible. Because of this, I am able to exercise my freedom and have become who I am, exactly as I was created to be. This makes me a Christian, not because I go to church or belong to any particular institution, but because I believe.

In fact, I consider myself more of a spiritual butterfly than I am committed to any particular organization or group.

Practicing my craft and my faith has made me a more confident individual, a better person and (I hope) has improved my writing.

As a disabled person, I have endured marginalization far greater than any form of discrimination I ever felt from being female. Marginalization “is increasingly common in countries where populist authoritarian governments use marginalized groups as scapegoats for the problems of the majority.” (Source: liberties.eu) This is most certainly true in America. The disabled and single mothers in particular are frequently blamed for our nation’s financial woes.

I have survived mental health challenges, memory loss, cancer, the pandemic and abuse. Through all of this I’ve had to relearn to think for myself, and outside of the box, to make the best decisions possible to ensure the wellbeing of myself and loved ones who are or have become defenseless.

It’s a grueling task, and yet many who are on the “DL” (disabled list), are said to be seeking a “free ride”. This is how marginalization works.

There is nothing “free” about being disabled…or marginalized. Thanks to the teachings and history of Christ, liberation from this misconception is possible.

For some of us, “surviving” means living with trauma on a continuous basis. In spite of this, I have been furthering my education and attempting to reenter the workforce on a part-time basis. After a “psychotic break”, years of debilitating PTSD, agoraphobia, depression, anxiety and cancer, this means learning to navigate a minefield of triggers, developing healthy coping mechanisms and overcoming my fears on a full-time basis.