Losing Her Family

Mary was young when she had to begin learning to fend for herself. During the Great Depression, she lost her mother and sister and has been responsible for herself ever since. She was only 15 when the tragedy struck, so she became the sole survivor of her family as a barely-legal teenager.

Losing family as a young adult can increase one’s risks of developing long-term issues like depression and substance abuse. But Mary was strong and survived for three years before relocating to Mexico.