Living in a cold, dark flat where the gas meters were rarely fed, Tressa grew up experiencing basic survival as a daily challenge.
“My mom was homeless, and I had to go into care,” Tressa recalled, looking back on those formative years. “All my friends were older than me. I also started drinking when I was eight or nine… I could see the clouds of my breath escaping from my mouth when I woke up. If there was money for heat, it went to a small radiator in the living room. Often, there was only one meal a day to eat.”
Surrounded by adults who were themselves consumed by addiction, Tressa was left entirely unprotected, floating through a childhood devoid of boundaries, warmth, or security.
