Maeve

I was born in Gallipolis, Ohio, and raised in Mason County, West Virginia. My earliest memories are of a home filled with confusion, fear, and instability. Growing up, I faced emotional and physical abuse that I didn’t fully understand until I was a teenager. I often felt isolated—bullied at school, misunderstood at home, and left to navigate a world that didn’t feel safe.

In 2018, when I was 16, my parents divorced for the final time. That year marked a major turning point. I began recognizing the cycles of manipulation and harm I had been trapped in. It was also the year I started to understand my identity and my voice, coming out as transgender the following year, in a place that was far from supportive.

Through a series of placements, psychiatric stays, and deeply painful experiences, I endured the unimaginable. I faced systems that were supposed to help, but often left me feeling even more alone. I struggled with mental health, lost housing, and experienced rejection from both biological and chosen family, and even called attention seeking by those closest to me.

But even in the darkest moments, I kept fighting.

In 2023, everything began to shift. I met someone who loved me unconditionally. In 2024, I found my way to Steve and Shelley—two people who welcomed me into their home and hearts. They became my chosen family, and I now proudly live with them and my partner, Brandon.

In 2025, I co-founded Kim’s Place alongside my adoptive dad, Steve and a team of friends. This work is deeply personal to me. I know what it’s like to feel unheard, unseen, and alone. Now, I’m here to help ensure no one else has to walk that road alone.

My story is not just one of survival—it’s one of transformation. From trauma to truth. From silence to voice. From isolation to community. I’m living proof that even in the deepest pain, hope can still grow.