A Parent Worth Mourning: Justine on Abuse, Surrogacy Loss, and Choosing Herself

For The Hayters: The Stories We Survive · Sep 13, 2026 · 56m

Trigger Warning: This episode discusses childhood sexual abuse, physical abuse, alcoholism, a disclosure that wasn't believed, pregnancy loss, surrogacy, and estrangement from a parent. Listener discretion is advised.

For most of her life, Justine's family ran on one rule: keep mom happy, whatever it costs you. She started paying that bill as a kid trying to survive her father. At 14, she finally told someone the truth and got handed an ultimatum instead of help. She spent years after that finding new people to save, because saving herself was never on the table.

A husband. A son. And for a…